In the Xia family, Grandma Xia was lying on the bed, holding her chest and crying.

Xia Ren was propping her back with a pillow, softly comforting her, “Aunt, don’t take it too much to heart. They also said that the Jin family didn’t succeed in taking the recipe.”

Grandma Xia’s eyes were tearful, “How could I have raised such a group of ungrateful people? The things left by the old master, and even we, the family, don’t know about them. They’ve been taken to flatter the Jin family! Shang Rong, Shang Rong!”

She called her son’s name, “You must make them hand over the things. Our Shang family’s property should not be in the hands of outsiders.”

Shang Rong stood by the window of her room, hands behind his back, looking outside.

The Zhenlong family, now well-established in Deep City, had strong financial backing.

He lived in the most expensive residential area of Deep City.

Through the window, he could see the lush greenery in a city where every inch of land is valuable.

Outside, the flowers bloomed, and their fragrance climbed through the mesh window into the second-floor room.

Inside, a group of Xia family relatives surrounded Grandma Xia’s bed, speaking softly and sweetly.

They all shared their anger, sympathizing with her, but never forgetting to flatter her in the process.

He looked at these faces and recalled the cold treatment he received as a child.

His uncles and aunts, who now gently patted his mother’s blanket, had once fiercely pointed at the Xia family door and ordered her to send him away.

Another cousin, who was now bringing tea and water to his mother, had once called him an illegitimate child over a candy and held him down to be beaten by other younger Xia family members.

Yet now, these people stood before him like domesticated dogs, never daring to speak out even if he pointed to the sun and claimed it was square.

He was from the Shang family, the unquestioned ruler of Zhenlong.

He had gained everything he wanted in his childhood and finally forced everyone who had once looked down on him to bow before him.

Now, under his scrutiny, these relatives were still nervously fawning over him, agreeing with his mother’s words, “It’s so unreasonable! The things left by the old master have been kept by a group of outsiders all these years, and not a word of it reached you. I believe they’ve been up to no good, probably already colluding with the Jin family behind our backs, who knows how much they’ve gained. Always scheming to help outsiders.”

When the disciples of Master Shang, who had heard about his wife fainting, arrived, they overheard these words.

The sixth disciple immediately protested, shouting at the one who spoke, “Say that again? Who took benefits from the Jin family?”

The room fell silent for a few seconds.

After all, these relatives of the Xia family had no pressure when gossiping behind their backs, but they dared not speak out in front of Master Shang’s disciples.

Only the sound of Grandma Xia’s sobs could be heard.

After a while, she spoke, “Second Disciple.”

The second son, Ma Yuanzhong, was also somewhat upset by the words of the Xia relative earlier, but in front of her, he still respectfully addressed her, “Master’s wife.”

Grandma Xia spread her hands towards him, “Give it back.”

Ma Yuanzhong frowned, “What?”

Xia Ren, holding back a roll of his eyes, said, “The recipe, what else could it be?”

Everyone in the room, including Grandma Xia and the relatives of the Xia family, turned their gazes to him.

After a moment of silence, Ma Yuanzhong said, “This is what Master left behind. Sorry, but I cannot give it to you.”

Grandma Xia widened her eyes, staring at him, “I am your master’s wife!”

Ma Yuanzhong shook his head, “This is the Shang family’s legacy, I can’t just hand it over to others.”

Grandma Xia laughed in anger, “Legacy? The Shang family’s legacy, and you won’t give it to someone named Shang, but to an outsider? Second Disciple, this recipe has been here for so many years, and you never mentioned it to Shang Rong or me. But now, when it comes to the Jin family, you’re not hiding it at all, taking it so willingly. Ha! Second Disciple, so we are outsiders, but your senior brother from the Jin family is one of your own?”

She was enraged to the point of no longer lying down, sitting upright and raising her voice.

Over the years, as the master’s wife, although her relationship with the disciples had not been particularly close, they had always been polite on the surface.

Ma Yuanzhong, hearing her words, felt uncomfortable, but he still endured it, saying, “I have no selfish motives.”

“How dare you say that,” one of the Xia relatives finally couldn’t hold back, mocking, “You eat at Zhenlong’s table and help outsiders undermine the Shang family’s foundations. This was caught, but who knows how many times you’ve done this in secret.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” The sixth disciple, with a fiery temper, exploded, “Senior brother never had any intention of taking Shang family things! If he wanted them, you think it would have come to this?”

Hearing his disciple’s words, Ma Yuanzhong immediately turned to scold him, “Sixth!”

The sixth disciple fell silent, feeling regretful for his words.

But it was too late, the damage was done.

The room fell silent again, and even Shang Rong, who had been silent by the window, gave Ma Yuanzhong a deep look.

Everyone in the room knew about the past of the Shang family, but no one dared to bring it up.

Grandma Xia was clearly furious, and in her anger, she could no longer remain lying down.

She sat up and raised her voice, “Sixth, what do you mean by that? Shang Rong isn’t your master’s biological son, but your senior brother from the Jin family is one of your own? I married your master, he’s on the Shang family’s household register, and he inherited the Shang family properly! If you were so dissatisfied, why didn’t you follow him to the Jin family back then?”

“Master’s wife, Sixth,” Ma Yuanzhong didn’t want to listen to the argument and stepped in, “Let’s all be quiet. Sixth, your master didn’t leave any heirs. No matter what happened in the past, Shang Rong is the one who inherited the Shang family. We won’t speak of such hurtful things anymore. Master’s wife, please, just accept it. We’ve stayed in the Shang family for all these years, and everything we did was to honor our master’s name…”

His words were sincere.

Over the years, he and his fellow disciples had worked diligently to maintain the business left by Master Shang.

There was no selfishness in their actions.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have cut off contact with the senior brother living far away in Linjiang.

Was it easy for him, who had been cared for by his senior brother since childhood, to sever their ties? Of course not.

But the master’s wife was sensitive, Shang Rong’s emotions were hard to predict, and the relatives of the Xia family were good at stirring up trouble.

For the stability of the Shang family and the legacy left by Master Shang, he could only endure it.

At first, when he had planned to give the recipe to Jin Yaotao, he had hoped to have her recognize Master Shang as her ancestor and facilitate a partnership with Zhenlong.

Unfortunately, the relatives of the Xia family couldn’t understand their deep-rooted belief in the master-disciple inheritance.

Grandma Xia, who was already feeling guilty and angry from the Sixth disciple’s words, found Ma Yuanzhong’s attempt to calm things down laughable, “Don’t bring your master into this! How many years has it been since he passed? Have we not treated you well all these years? Reputation, wealth, and status, have we neglected you? If you want fame, we’ve given it. If you want status, we’ve given it. We’ve treated you better than our own. And this is how you repay us? Hiding things from us and sending them to the Jin family? What can they give you? Can they treat you better than we have? Where’s your conscience?”

Her words were meant to scold the disciples, especially since the Shang family’s wealth far surpassed that of the Jin family.

She couldn’t believe they would risk it all for a little gain.

Ma Yuanzhong was stunned.

“You, we.”

Master’s wife’s words were so clear in their stance.

This made him look around the room.

There were too many Xia relatives in the house, and only Shang Rong…

No, Shang Rong wasn’t originally from the Shang family.

But they were family now, and in this family, there were no disciples of Master Shang.

So now, who should the Shang family belong to—should it be the Xia family or the Shang family?

Ma Yuanzhong fell silent, the question suddenly forming in his mind.

Half a minute later, he said nothing, gave a glance to a few of his fellow disciples, and turned toward the door.

Grandma Xia slapped the bed, “Stop! Stop! Who told you to leave?”

Ma Yuanzhong didn’t stop.

When he reached the door, Shang Rong, who had been silent all along, spoke up, calling out softly, “Second Brother.”

Ma Yuanzhong paused, looking at him for a moment. “Shang Rong, I can’t change Master’s wife’s mind, but you should know that the things Master left behind are not something you are entitled to by default.”

Shang Rong’s expression suddenly turned cold, but the second brother ignored his reaction and left with his people.

Inside the room, the Xia family was in an uproar because of his insistence on not compromising.

Grandma Xia cried out, “Heartless and ungrateful! A bunch of white-eyed wolves that can’t be fed!”

A group of relatives echoed her insults.

When Shang Rong heard the term “white-eyed wolves,” his eyelid twitched, and he suddenly spoke sternly, “What’s all the noise about!”

The Xia family immediately fell silent, obedient as dogs at his command.

---

Jin Yaotiao had no idea that a rejected recipe she had turned down caused such a stir in the Shang family.

After sorting out personnel matters and looking for suitable technical talents, she used the company canteen to make a delicious pot of water noodles for her naive beauty who had traveled all the way from Deep City to be with her.

The noodles were freshly cut and slightly thinner than a pinky finger.

They needed to be boiled for a while, then cooled in ice water to ensure the noodles were thoroughly cooked, smooth, and chewy without being sticky.

The canteen always had fresh soup, and the company would occasionally bring in groups of apprentices for training.

To help them progress quickly, they were required to practice by making real dishes every day.

As a result, the Mingde canteen was always stocked with delicious items, and the stoves never went out, with rich and flavorful broths that many restaurants outside couldn’t replicate.

The key to these broths was long simmering.

Not only did it bring out the full flavor of the ingredients, but it also made the bone broth richer and more flavorful.

Each day, fresh pork and beef bones were added, and sometimes Jin Yaotiao would have the staff throw in chicken, duck, geese, or pigeon to make the soup even better.

The ingredients contributed to a deep, rich flavor that couldn’t be achieved by just simmering in plain water.

Today, the soup contained cooked chicken, so after the noodles were chilled in ice water, they were briefly cooked in the bone broth.

Jin Yaotiao removed the chicken, shredded the tender chicken legs, and chopped them into pieces.

She added it to the noodles along with braised beef brisket and some garlic shoots.

The aroma filled the air.

Next to it, a smaller pot contained bright red cherry meat, which the naive beauty had specifically asked for.

The fried meatballs, about the size of cherries, were coated in a deep red sweet and sour sauce, then cooked with fresh pineapple chunks.

Luna stared at the cherry meat while eating the sweet lotus root Jin Yaotiao had prepared for her, piece by piece.

The lotus root was sweet and tender, filled with soft sticky rice, and the sweetness was not overwhelming but enticing.

It made Luna squint her eyes in pleasure, and her complaints faded into casual murmurs.

“My parents have been introducing me to blind dates recently.”

“Can you believe it? I met three in one day!”

“I told them I don’t want to, but they won’t listen. It’s driving me crazy.”

“Mm, so soft, so delicious. Yao Tiao, how did you make the sugar syrup for this lotus root? It smells so good.”

Jin Yaotiao sighed at her friend, who switched topics so quickly. “I made the syrup with pure sugar cane juice. Of course, it smells good.”

Luna laughed playfully, “Yao Tiao, if you were a guy, I would marry you.”

The noodles and cherry meat were served, and Luna immediately devoured them.

The crispy meatballs were crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, salty and fragrant.

The sweet and sour sauce and pineapple added a tangy sweetness, which was irresistible.

The noodles, soft and chewy, soaked in the rich bone broth, and were topped with thick braised beef brisket sauce and fresh, spicy garlic shoots.

Every bite of noodles had complex layers of flavor.

Luna took a bite of tender chicken leg meat and, in an instant, forgot all her troubles.

As she ate, she said, “I’m trying to lose weight, I can’t eat too much. You don’t know, at the last party, I ran into Hu Wanyue and the others. Oh my gosh, Hu Wanyue got so fat! She’s got double chins now! How did she suddenly get so fat? I can’t let myself end up like her…”

She finished most of the bowl without stopping.

Jin Yaotiao wasn’t interested in Hu Wanyue.

She only asked, “Your ex-boyfriend… is he completely out of the company now?”

Luna’s expression dimmed, “You mean Jian Wen? Yeah, my dad fired him. He made a big fuss for a while, changing numbers and calling me to apologize. I almost felt bad for him. But then my dad told me his family owed a lot of money. He had borrowed money from me before, but it wasn’t to start a business, it was to pay off gambling debts. Can you believe that? I never saw it coming.”

“You wouldn’t have seen it either.”

Jin Yaotiao felt some regret, “What about those blind dates? Any of them caught your eye?”

Luna took a big bite of beef brisket, savoring the soft, rich meat. “I don’t like them. There’s no emotional connection, and when they talk about marriage, it feels like business negotiations. I’ve protested so many times, but my parents don’t listen. I’m about to lose it! Why do they insist I get married?”

Jin Yaotiao looked at her friend’s naive, troubled expression and felt a bit reluctant to tell her the truth, “Luna, what have you been doing lately?”

The naive beauty thought for a moment, holding her chopsticks. “Well, I’ve been learning how to make handicrafts. I’m making a little ostrich leather wallet for you and my parents. I also went shopping, oh, and I bought you a pair of shoes. I’ve brought them with me, I’ll let you try them later…”

Jin Yaotiao sighed and asked, “What about the company? Your family’s company, haven’t you gone there even once?”

Luna replied, “But my dad’s there, right? What do I need to go for? I can’t help out.”

Jin Yaotiao handed her a tissue. “Have you thought about what will happen to the family business when your parents aren’t able to manage it anymore?”

Luna froze. “Huh?”

Jin Yaotiao looked at her and asked, “So, you still don’t understand what your parents are worried about?”

Luna was stunned.

Jin Yaotiao checked her vibrating phone, stood up, and patted her head. “I need to take care of some work.”

Outside the canteen, Xu Wan passed by and asked one of the Mingde employees, “Who is that girl? She seems to be close with Yaotiao.”

The employee, who came from Linjiang, was very knowledgeable and looked into the canteen.

As soon as he recognized Luna, he said in surprise, “Isn’t that Luna? She came all the way from Linjiang to Deep City?”

Xu Wan, confused, looked at the employee. “Wait… what did you say?”

---

At a restaurant in Deep City, a senior bank official was having drinks when he received a call.

After a few reprimands, he hung up.

His friend asked, “Who was that?”

“It was a subordinate from the bank. They were trying to secure a loan for a small company,” the senior official waved it off. “I already told them no. Now they’re still calling me, don’t they have any sense?”

His friend raised an eyebrow, “You’re personally handling a small loan?”

The official brushed it off, “Someone asked me to intervene. It’s just a small company, no big deal. I just needed to give them a little push.”

His friend casually asked, “Which company? Someone asked you to handle it?”

The official didn’t think much of it. “Yeah, it’s a small company from out of town. I checked the documents, nothing special, just let it go. It’s called Mingde.”

The moment the official finished speaking, his friend choked on his drink and suddenly changed his expression.

The official was taken aback. “What’s wrong with you?”

His friend grabbed his arm and said, “Mingde? You really handled a loan for Mingde? Who asked you to do this? You’re in big trouble!”

The official was left dumbfounded.