Chapter 51

“Actually…” Jiang Tiantian nervously fidgeted with her fingers. “Here’s the thing, just listen to me first.”

“When I was in Rongcheng, I met an old foreign gentleman who came to China for research. His name is George, and he’s super rich. He told me that his great-grandfather was Chinese, so he’s been obsessed with Chinese culture since he was a kid.”

“I took him to visit some old residences, museums, and ancient streets a few times, and we became good friends despite the age gap. He even acknowledged me as his god-granddaughter. Since I wasn’t willing to go back to his country with him, he hoped that I could live well in China. He said that as long as I needed anything within his ability, he would help me.”

“Now that I’ve married into Chajia Village, and since it’s such a beautiful place, I invited him to visit me when he comes to China again.”

“When he heard that I found a hot spring in the mountains but didn’t have a suitable pipeline to divert the water, he mentioned that he happened to know a company that manufactures pipes. They recently shipped a batch to China, so he sent me a sample directly.”

“You guys can check if the pipeline is suitable. If it is, more will be delivered later.”

“And don’t feel pressured. My god-grandfather is ridiculously rich—this is just a small gesture to him.”

“Hoo~~~” Jiang Tiantian let out a careful breath, embracing the risk of making things up.

Xiao Qi: Applause, please call me god-grandfather!

Jiang Tiantian sneaked a glance at Cha Jiuzhang. “Anyway, that’s the truth. Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”

Cha Jiuzhang’s expression was unreadable—neither confirming nor denying his belief.

Tsk~

A god-grandfather falling from the sky?

This woman sure can spin a tale!

Forget it, he might as well believe her for now.

She clearly had secrets she wasn’t willing to share yet—perhaps because she still didn’t trust him enough.

He needed to keep working on that.

Cha Jiuzhang turned to Jiang Tiantian, his peach-blossom eyes narrowing slightly. Then, with a bright smile, he ruffled her hair and sincerely said, “On behalf of everyone in Chajia Village, I thank your god-grandfather.”

Xiao Qi: Ah, what a good grandson.

“Hmm, I’ll pass on my god-grandfather’s words: ‘You’re welcome.'”

Jiang Tiantian pressed her lips tightly together, trying not to burst out laughing.

Cha Jiuzhang, of course, noticed her expression and, slightly exasperated, ruffled her hair even harder. “You little trickster.”

Jiang Tiantian smacked his hand away. “Stop messing with my hair! It’s getting all messy!”

Cha Jiuzhang walked around the warehouse, then pointed at a few boxes in the corner. “What’s in these?”

“Oh, those? My god-grandfather was worried I’d get bored in Chajia Village, so he sent me some toys.”

Xiao Qi: Your storytelling skills are getting better and better.

Jiang Tiantian walked over and introduced each box to Cha Jiuzhang.

“This is a video camera, this is a camera, this is a CD burner, this is a camcorder, and this is a color TV.”

“When we have free time, we can record videos and watch them ourselves!”

Jiang Tiantian’s eyes suddenly sparkled, and she clapped her hands.

“Oh right, my god-grandfather loves Chinese folk culture and customs, and he’s super curious about Chajia Village too. We can record videos and send them to him!”

“Consider it our way of thanking him for sponsoring the pipes. What do you think?”

Cha Jiuzhang gave her another deep, thoughtful look. “Hmm, sounds good. Whatever you say. You’re Chajia Village’s great benefactor now!”

“I’ll ask Dad to hold a village meeting and let everyone know. They should cooperate with you as much as possible.”

Jiang Tiantian’s face lit up with joy. “Really? That’s great!”

This would save her a lot of trouble.

—-

After leaving the warehouse, they headed back to town.

Cha Jiuzhang asked Jiang Tiantian what she wanted to eat and took her straight to a small restaurant by the main road for a clay pot rice noodle dish.

Jiang Tiantian had already tried lamb rice noodles last time, so she wanted to try a different flavor today.

The local area was rich in rice, and the people loved rice-based foods—especially rice noodles, which topped the list.

There were so many ways to prepare rice noodles that you could eat a different version every day for a week without repeating a dish.

The small restaurant was doing good business. Since it was close to noon, most of the tables were already occupied.

After entering the restaurant, Cha Jiuzhang found a seat for Jiang Tiantian, then walked to the kitchen entrance and asked the owner, “Fat Brother, has Tea Millionaire arrived yet?”

The owner was slightly chubby, with a round face and a naturally cheerful demeanor. He seemed like an old acquaintance and shook his head. “Not yet. Are you looking for him?”

“Yeah. In the meantime, can you get us two bowls of clay pot rice noodles? We’ll eat while we wait.”

“Got it, hang tight.”

The owner peeked outside and grinned. “Hey, is that your wife?”

Cha Jiuzhang smiled a little, nodded with a hint of pride.

“Not bad, kid! I heard you were getting married, but I didn’t expect you’d land such a beauty.” The owner shot him a teasing wink.

“Go keep her company—don’t leave her sitting alone.”

As Cha Jiuzhang turned around, he saw a man who had just entered the restaurant trying to sit across from Jiang Tiantian. He quickly walked over. “Sorry, this seat’s taken.”

The man glanced at him, then at Jiang Tiantian, looking a little displeased before reluctantly moving to another table.

Even then, he kept glancing at Jiang Tiantian frequently.

Cha Jiuzhang shot him a sharp warning look, shutting him down immediately.

What are you looking at? Looking is forbidden. Even looking is a crime!

Jiang Tiantian didn’t pay attention to the small episode and asked, “You know the owner?”

“Yeah.” Cha Jiuzhang nodded.

Jiang Tiantian’s eyes lit up with a smile. “Then can you ask him if I can take a look at how they make the rice noodles?”

What kind of weird request is that?

Can’t she just eat them? Why does she want to see how they’re made?

But then he thought about it—this woman was a total foodie, just like Erzhu.

He nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”

Cha Jiuzhang walked to the kitchen entrance, feeling a little embarrassed. “Fat Brother, my wife wants to see how you make the rice noodles.”

“She’s never seen it before and is just curious.”

“Hah, no problem! Come on in! There’s no secret recipe here—watch all you want.”

Jiang Tiantian stepped inside with a bright smile. “Thanks, Fat Brother!”

She spotted a woman busy adding ingredients to clay pots over several small stoves. “Oh, this must be Sister-in-law. Hello!”

The woman had a round face, fair skin, and a slightly chubby but adorable look. She gave off a friendly and warm vibe.

She turned to Jiang Tiantian with a cheerful smile. “Take a look at whatever you want. If there’s a side dish you like, I’ll give you extra.”

“Thank you, Sister-in-law!” Jiang Tiantian’s eyes gleamed as she noticed a row of small baskets filled with various ingredients. “Wow, so many toppings!”

“Of course! Let me tell you, the essence of our clay pot rice noodles is in the broth and the toppings.”

“Our broth is made by simmering whole chicken and pork bones overnight for a rich, flavorful base.”

“When cooking the rice noodles, we add shredded chicken, mushrooms, ham, sliced pork, small river shrimp, bean sprouts, egg strips, tofu strips, and greens… In the end, all the flavors blend perfectly. How could it not be delicious?”

Jiang Tiantian took a deep breath, smelling the rich aroma in the air, and swallowed. “Mmm, definitely delicious.”

Seeing her eager expression, the woman laughed. “Here, this bowl is yours. Let me know what extra toppings you want!”

“Sister-in-law, just make it the usual way—I’m not picky.”

“Alright, coming right up!”

While waiting for the rice noodles to cook, Jiang Tiantian joked with a smile, “Sister-in-law, you and your husband really look like a perfect match.”

They both had particularly likable appearances.

The woman didn’t mind the comment and simply smiled as she replied, “Everyone who sees us says the same thing. Who would have thought that when I first married him, I still had an oval face and a slim waist like a willow branch?”