Chapter 4: An Initial Exploration of Business Opportunities

Xu Nuo was on a roll, not paying any attention to the expressions of the crowd around her.

“Even if he is an emperor, he should care for the people and empathize with their hardships. Haven’t you heard that saying, ‘When the emperor commits a crime, he is guilty like the common folks!'”

“What kind of person do you think you are? Hmph, just a trash who relies on family power to bully the weak. I may not be educated, just a rough and tumble wife, but I do know that any situation isn’t just about appearances; one must seek the truth to draw conclusions.”

Xu Nuo looked at the greasy-faced Wang Zijie and shook her head, “With your demeanor, after reading so many years in this academy, it seems those books haven’t helped you much. You may as well go home and brush up on them.”

Wang Zijie’s face turned red with anger, his eyes blazing, “You… you… just wait!” He turned to Shangguan Ziqian and said, “Shangguan brother, you’ve married such a shrew; life at home won’t be easy for you in the future!”

Despite not knowing what had happened to Xu Nuo, she felt good about being defended. Shangguan Ziqian, rarely showing any emotion, finally smiled, “No need for Wang brother to worry; I think my wife is wonderful!”

The onlookers were left agape; no one had expected this icy figure would actually smile. Tsk, when he had a cold face, his aura was already extraordinary; now, with a smile, he was devastatingly charming.

They looked like a match made in heaven, both exceptionally good-looking and sharp-tongued. You could tell they were clearly from the same family without needing to say it.

Once Wang Zijie left, the kitchen returned to a peace of sorts, but the earlier awkward atmosphere between Xu Nuo and Shangguan Ziqian dissipated. Though they didn’t speak, one could feel the distance between them had lessened. Wang Shi observed this scene, wearing a satisfied smile. This was just right; in the future, she ought to take Xu Nuo to the city more often. Newlywed couples shouldn’t be apart for too long.

At the next table, Zhang Yan had been holding back for a long time; the sour and spicy aroma was invading his nostrils. He was a person who loved fine food, especially since his father was the richest man in the county. This meant he could eat as much as he wanted without gaining weight!

“Sister-in-law, the way you handled that just now really impresses me!” Unable to help himself, Zhang Yan squeezed over to sit next to Shangguan Ziqian.

“Hmm?” Xu Nuo noticed she had just gained a bit of fame in the academy, but why was this fool shamelessly moving closer? And he sat right next to Shangguan Ziqian—wasn’t he worried about freezing?

“You know him? Are you acquaintances?” Xu Nuo asked without raising her head, looking at Shangguan Ziqian.

“I know him, but we’re not close!” Shangguan Ziqian replied with a look of disdain.

“No way, Shangguan, what’s our relationship? How could we not be close? Good bro, how can you treat me like this? We’ve shared the same blanket! Are you dumping me because you have a wife now?” Zhang Yan started to whine like a spoiled child.

Others might not understand, but Shangguan Ziqian instantly got it—this guy was starting to act up again.

“Oh, is this a return to the good old school days? After you become the top scholar, will you start vying for attention with General Xie? Maybe Zhang Yan will compete with General Xie for fame!” Xu Nuo’s eyes sparkled as she stared at Zhang Yan and Shangguan Ziqian, feeling the thrill of a possible drama unfolding. At that moment, all she needed was a bag of seeds to munch on.

Seeing Zhang Yan getting more absurd and noticing Xu Nuo’s expression, Shangguan Ziqian knew if he didn’t stop this, Xu Nuo would surely concoct some wild thoughts. He was getting increasingly baffled.

“Just eat your food!” With that, Shangguan Ziqian shoved a chopstick full of cold dishes into Zhang Yan’s bowl.

“Heavens!” Xu Nuo covered her mouth with both hands, catching sight of the two resembling a scene from a domineering CEO and a delicate wife drama.

Shangguan Ziqian looked at his wife’s expression and, in light of the conversation he had heard earlier outside, found it utterly ridiculous; his wife had misunderstood the situation again.

“This is Zhang Yan, my classmate who loves food. When I didn’t have the money to pay for my tuition, he lent me some. He’s one of the few friends I have at the academy.”

Shangguan Ziqian thought he had explained it clearly, but for Xu Nuo, this only painted a clearer picture of a rich girl entangled with a poor boy!

Wang Shi, understanding that this was her son’s friend from the academy, also wished to take care of Zhang Yan, urging him to eat more.

Zhang Yan suddenly felt revitalized; no words could describe the deliciousness of this dish!

“Delicious! So delicious! It’s truly too delicious!”

Zhang Yan exclaimed these few words with high praise for the dish! It’s worth noting that he was quite picky when it came to food.

The other students in the kitchen began to take notice. Was the dish really that delicious? Maybe after Madam Shangguan leaves, they should ask Shangguan for the recipe and have their own wives cook it at home to improve their meals.

Zhang Yan sincerely thought the dish was fantastic, but the thought of only being able to eat it this once left him feeling a bit unhappy. “Sister-in-law, when will you next come to the academy? Will you bring this dish again? If you do, I’ll gladly pay for it; just name your price!”

“Ah?” Xu Nuo was initially happy to hear her cooking praised, but the idea of Zhang Yan paying for her dish hadn’t crossed her mind at all.

The key was that she didn’t even know the current market prices; how could she casually quote a price? After all, this was Shangguan’s brother; she might need his help in the future.

“These are just common ingredients from my family’s vegetable garden. If you like it, I can bring more next time,” Xu Nuo quickly shook her head, refusing to accept any payment.

“That’s not acceptable! You must let me pay. I’m not like that Wang Zijie; it’s only natural to pay for food,” Zhang Yan said resolutely. Coming from a family with a thriving business, he had been taught since childhood not to take advantage of others. No matter how close the relationship, one should never impose on kindness. This was also why he and Shangguan had become such good friends at the academy.

However, Xu Nuo was completely unaware of the current market rates and how ancient currency worked; it was beyond her understanding. She turned to Shangguan, hoping he would come to the rescue.

Hearing Zhang Yan mention paying for food, the other eager students started to gather around. “Why not count me in for a portion too?”

“Making one portion or two portions is the same, I want one as well!”

“I want one too.”

“Me too… me too…”

The table was once again surrounded, and Xu Nuo now felt like money was being offered right in front of her.

At this moment, Shangguan Ziqian didn’t immediately agree; instead, he turned to Xu Nuo and asked, “Preparing these dishes takes a lot of time. Is your body up for it?”

Although the family lacked money, Shangguan didn’t want Xu Nuo to tire herself out. Earning money to support the family should primarily be a man’s responsibility. He could wait until the busy farming season in a couple of weeks and go up the mountain for a while; perhaps they would have enough harvests to cover the family’s expenses for some time.

Xu Nuo had a newfound appreciation for Shangguan; he was indeed like the male protagonists in stories—he didn’t immediately agree to everyone’s requests but instead cared about her well-being, which warmed her heart.

“It’s fine! This won’t take too long; it’s just using ingredients that are readily available at home. The only issue is that we might not have enough bowls. I can bring the finished dishes in a bucket, but I’d like to ask everyone to bring their own bowls when I do,” she addressed the practical issue at hand.

Upon hearing Xu Nuo’s response, Shangguan felt relieved since it wouldn’t be too strenuous. After contemplating for a moment, he told the others present, “If they’re all vegetables, then one bowl of cold mixed vegetables will be fifteen wen. If you want meat added, it’ll be an additional five wen. How does that sound to everyone?” He picked up a bowl from the table while speaking.

Students attending the academy generally came from relatively well-off families; many engaged in trade or held minor official positions, so they found this price acceptable. Zhang Yan even thought it was too cheap, believing that if it were served in a restaurant, it would cost at least thirty or forty wen.

As Zhang Yan was about to voice his thoughts, he caught the sharp look Shangguan shot him, which immediately silenced him. He realized that Shangguan probably didn’t mean to profit off anyone.

Xu Nuo hadn’t expected that by simply delivering some meals, she would find herself saddled with a side job, which aligned perfectly with her professional aspirations. She had been contemplating how to find work in ancient times, and now it had directly come to her door.

Her mind started calculating rapidly: if one person paid fifteen wen, and there were about fifteen people, that would total 225 wen, equivalent to two taels. If she expanded to include other dishes in the future, she could earn four to five hundred wen a day—now that was real money!