When old friends reunited, they naturally couldn’t contain their joy. Aunt Wang held Lin Dan’s hand and chatted with her for quite a while. Returning there felt like coming home for Lin Dan. She tied a scarf around her head, rolled up her sleeves, and began working as if it were second nature. When the handsome man returned carrying two buckets of water, he saw that Lin Dan was already seated in the back kitchen, grinding soybeans. Aunt Wang was adding wood to the stove, talking about her experiences over the years, “It was really the case of the student mastering the knowledge and the teacher losing her job. If I had known earlier that the two of them were such ungrateful people, I never would have passed them my skills.”

“Not everyone is like that. There’s another saying, ‘a good master raises a disciple to care for them in old age’. You taught me how to make tofu, and now, I’ve come back to take care of you.” Lin Dan said with a gentle smile.

Aunt Wang quickly waved her hand. “Oh, don’t say that! I’ve only taught you for three months and you did so much work for me every day. If anything, I took advantage of you. How could I let you take care of me? My son and I can still get by. I wouldn’t want to be a burden to you!” As she spoke, Aunt Wang’s eyes began to redden. Her own son didn’t care for her, yet this young woman who had only learned one dish from her treated her like family. How could she bear it?

Aunt Wang’s youngest son entered the room with reddened eyes and spoke hoarsely, “Sister Lin, thank you for your kindness. I recently found a long-term job at Landlord Zhou’s household, feeding the livestock. It’s enough to support my mother and the work’s not too hard. You don’t have to worry.”

Lin Dan also waved her hand. “When I said I’d take care of her, I didn’t mean just providing for her. I think you’ve misunderstood. Aunt, you taught me one dish back then so now I’ll teach you three. Once you’ve mastered them, you can attract more customers and bring back the prosperous days you once had. What do you think?” As she spoke, she carefully filtered the soy milk through the cheesecloth and poured it into a large pot to boil.

The handsome man said nothing but had already taken over the task of grinding the soybeans. His gaze never left Lin Dan as she spoke with confidence.

Lin Dan began to finely chop cilantro, scallions, and pickled mustard. She then toasted sesame seeds and peanuts until they were fragrant, crushed them, and set them aside. “You only sell one dish all year round and customers can grow tired of it, which naturally makes business slow. Your tofu-making skills are excellent, so why not expand your menu with a few more tofu dishes? The dish I’m about to teach you is something I learned in Fushun County. It’s called ‘tofu brains’, also known as ‘tofu pudding’. It’s a semi-finished tofu product, but the taste is just as good. It comes in sweet and savory versions. Your shop is right next to the main road, with travelers from all over. When northern customers arrive, you can serve them the savory version, and when southern customers come, you can serve them the sweet version. Serve it hot in spring, autumn, and winter, and chill it in well water during summer. Tofu pudding itself has no flavor. It relies entirely on the sauce. There are many types of savory sauces. There’s salty-spicy, numbing-spicy, sour-spicy, and so on. Sweet sauces can be made with cane sugar, brown sugar, malt sugar, and so on. With just one dish, you can create hundreds of different flavors, easily satisfying any customer’s taste. Isn’t that much better than just selling tofu balls? Besides, tofu pudding is simple and quick to make. Once you’ve sold out, you can make a new batch in less than three-quarters of an hour. Freshly made, the customers will love it!”

As Lin Dan spoke about cooking, she became increasingly enthusiastic. Without realizing it, she had already made two bowls of tofu pudding. One was spicy and numbing, the other with goji berries and brown sugar, both looking vibrant and appetizing.

The handsome man silently picked up the savory tofu pudding and took a bite. The incredibly tender texture immediately captivated his taste buds. The rich soybean flavor, combined with the numbing spicy sauce, rolled over his tongue and smoothly slid down his throat— a truly indescribable taste. His eyes lit up and he quickly tried the sweet tofu pudding. The sweet, tender tofu slowly melted on his tongue and the slight sourness of the goji berries added an unexpected but delightful twist. The texture was so smooth and the flavors so varied that he couldn’t stop after just one bite.

Aunt Wang and Little Brother Wang tried a bite, half-believing, half-doubting, and were instantly amazed.

Lin Dan then fried a plate of Zhenxiang tofu, also paired with both sweet and savory sauces. If the customers weren’t satisfied, they could adjust the flavor themselves. Finally, she made a slight improvement to Aunt Wang’s signature dish, the tofu meatballs in broth, turning it into deep-fried tofu balls. They started as solid balls when they entered the oil, but became hollow as they cooked. When gently cracked open, the crispy shell revealed a layer of sweet, thick soy milk clinging to the inner wall. The contrast between the crispy exterior and tender interior created a truly unique experience. The dipping sauce, made from roasted chili, garlic, and wild scallions, was spooned into the hollow of the tofu ball, creating a spicy, fragrant, and tender bite. For those who couldn’t handle the spice, the sauce could be replaced with red bean paste or crushed sesame and peanuts, making it equally delightful.

These three dishes were extremely versatile and could be made to suit any taste the customers desired. Once someone mastered them, they would never have to worry about making a living again. Aunt Wang and Little Brother Wang weren’t fools. After tasting the dishes and listening to the explanation, they felt both happy and ashamed. They didn’t know whether they should accept such a generous gift.

Lin Dan never spoke empty words. After teaching them how to prepare the dishes, she also imparted some business wisdom, “During the spring, autumn, and winter seasons, you can offer free hot tea to passing customers. In the summer, make some bean jelly and keep it cool at all times. Then hang a flag outside that says, ‘Free Tea Available’. Naturally, tired travelers will stop to drink and you can ask if they’d like some food as well. That way, business will naturally pick up. Since few people can read, Little Brother can wait by the roadside and shout out to attract people when he sees a caravan approaching. With Aunt Wang’s excellent cooking skills, there’s no fear that customers will be dissatisfied. Once they’re satisfied, your reputation will grow and life will become more prosperous. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Aunt Wang and Little Brother Wang nodded repeatedly, their eyes brimming with tears. They realized that Lin Dan genuinely wanted to help them. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said so much. They never expected that a small act of kindness from years ago would bring such a great reward today. It reaffirmed their belief that there were still many good people in this world.

They stayed busy until evening. Lin Dan walked freely along the main road under the starlight, feeling a sense of vast openness in her heart. What was hers, she would take back, and what she owed, she would repay. As long as she was alive, she would live with a clear conscience.

The handsome man silently followed her, his gaze filled with complex emotions as he looked at her.

The three dishes couldn’t be mastered in just a day so Lin Dan had no choice but to stay in the small town for a few more days, helping out at Aunt Wang’s shop every day. Little Brother Wang would prepare hot tea and then sit by the roadside, calling out to attract customers, and sure enough, many caravans and passersby were drawn in. Initially, they intended to drink the free tea and leave, but the enticing aroma from the kitchen made them stay for a few bowls of tofu pudding. Once they tasted it, they couldn’t stop. Eating one bowl was nothing and some with larger appetites even ate four or five bowls and still wanted more. There wasn’t a single customer, whether from the north or south, who didn’t like it.

Aunt Wang’s small shop went from being empty to bustling with customers in just three days. After three days, Lin Dan left and Aunt Wang continued to experiment with new flavors to sell, which also received great feedback. Over time, the dilapidated thatched hut was replaced by a sturdy mud house, and a few years later, it was rebuilt into a row of wooden houses, eventually developing into a renowned restaurant specializing in tofu pudding. Meanwhile, Aunt Wang’s daughter-in-law, who had been driven out of business, returned to beg for forgiveness but was turned away, becoming the laughingstock of the surrounding villages.

———pr


Lin Dan remained unaware of those later events. She brought her mother back to the capital, settled her in a small courtyard she had bought long ago, and without pausing, went to the western district to check on a shop. Opening a shop in the capital was something she had been planning for two years. She was now fully prepared and only needed the right timing.

There was a saying in the capital, ‘The East is wealthy, the West is noble, the North is poor, and the South is lowly’. The western district was home to many nobles, the eastern district to the wealthy, the northern district to the poor, and the southern district to immigrants who lived by hard labor, hence its low status.

Lin Baotian was skilled in Shandong cuisine, so over the years, Lin Dan had also studied it extensively. Naturally, she wanted to continue making Shandong cuisine when she opened her shop. There was a saying among cooks, ‘Shandong cuisine is for officials, Guandong cuisine is for merchants, Sichuan cuisine is for commoners, and Huaiyang cuisine is for scholars. Since she wanted to make food for government officials, it made sense to open her shop in the western district, where she would find the right clientele.

Lin Dan had already sent several servants back to the capital to look for a shop. After waiting for two or three months, they finally found a grocery shop in Qingyun Lane in the western district that was closing down and was ready for transfer. This grocery shop was located right across from the Yan Family’s Restaurant.

Logically, since Lin Dan had safely arrived in the capital, the handsome man should have left, but he didn’t. He neither explained his reasons nor left, continuing to follow Lin Dan like a guardian. Sensing no ill intentions from him, Lin Dan didn’t bother with him and went straight to negotiate the price with the grocery shop’s owner.

The handsome man waited at the door, his gaze shifting to the Yan Family’s Restaurant across the street, his expression subtly complex.

“You want to open a restaurant that also serves Shandong cuisine?” The grocery shop owner’s eyes flickered and he changed his tone, “Shopkeeper Lin, it’s not that I want to make things difficult for you, but my family has encountered some trouble and needs a large sum of money. Although your offer is reasonable, it’s not the highest. Several others have come by recently, offering more. The highest bidder wins. That’s the rule of business. You understand, don’t you?”

Lin Dan frowned and said, “Shopkeeper, why don’t you name your price and let me see if it’s feasible? If it is, I’ll take it. If not, then forget about it.”

The grocery shop’s owner named a price, which was far beyond what Lin Dan could afford at the moment. But after a brief calculation, she decisively said, “Shopkeeper, give me one day. I’ll bring the money tomorrow. Please prepare the transfer documents.”

After finalizing the deal, she sent a servant back to fetch the money and strolled around Qingyun Lane to observe the area.

“Three hundred and sixty taels of silver— that price is enough to buy two shops like that. You’re being swindled.” The handsome man commented as he followed her closely, his voice deep.

“You don’t understand. I want that particular shop.” Lin Dan replied firmly, waving him off.

The handsome man turned back to look at the thriving Yan Family’s Restaurant with its bustling customers and then at the grocery shop across the street. He couldn’t help but inwardly sigh. Lin Dan was preparing to challenge Yan Family’s Restaurant, wasn’t she?