As the brainless, malicious wife of the main family in the original story, Madam Jiang possessed all the typical traits of a stereotypical villainess: irritable, easily angered, foolish, intolerant of her husband’s children from other women, and incapable of properly raising her own children.

When Jiang Yanyi heard Chu Changping discussing his plans, she responded, “I plan to keep running this antique hot pot shop. if Mother would like, she can join me here one day.”

Madam Jiang may have many faults, but no one can deny her devotion to her two children.

Unfortunately, she lacks clarity of thought and thus fails to teach them well.

Chu Changping had assumed that Jiang Yanyi’s shop was just a temporary arrangement.

But now, hearing her plans to continue indefinitely, he felt she was holding back from him. “No matter how little talent your uncle may have, he can at least afford to buy a courtyard and servants for you three. Why trouble yourself with this?”

The night air turned cold, and Jiang Yanyi extended her hand over the brazier to warm it. “Uncle, don’t overthink it. I just want something to keep me occupied. Keeping busy helps me avoid wandering thoughts and gives me peace of mind.”

Chu Changping, open-minded as he was, understood that after all Jiang Yanyi had endured, her perspective had likely shifted.

She no longer wanted to be a sheltered lady confined to her quarters, and he respected her choice.

He said, “As you wish. Since you’re determined to keep running the shop, I’ll leave some men here to help you. If you need to go out, take them with you. It’s not entirely safe here in Xizhou City these days.”

Jiang Yanyi was pleased.

She had been wanting to find a few capable assistants who could handle themselves, and now she finally had the opportunity.

She replied, “Thank you, Uncle.”

“Silly girl, what are you thanking your uncle for?” Chu Changping shook his head, smiling.

As everyone ate, there was a knock at the door.

Jiang Yanyi opened it and saw Fu Xi, the steward from the Feng residence.

Smiling, he said, “The prince sent me to deliver some wine.”

Behind him, several young men carried jars of huadiao wine.

With a quick glance, Jiang Yanyi counted at least five or six jars.

She assumed the wine was sent in respect of her uncle, so she graciously allowed Fu Xi inside. “Thank you for going to the trouble. Please, come in and sit for a bit.”

Fu Xi chuckled, “No need to trouble yourself.”

He motioned to the servants behind him to carry the wine jars into the house.

Recognizing Fu Xi’s voice, Chu Changping came over and exchanged pleasantries with him.

Not knowing what to offer in return, Jiang Yanyi went to the backyard, cut off a leg of the roasted lamb, and selected a few ribs to wrap up.

She handed them to Fu Xi, saying, “Just a small token of my appreciation.”

Fu Xi politely accepted the lamb, exchanged a few more words with Chu Changping, and then left with his attendants.

As Chu Changping stood by the door, a strange expression crossed his face.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Fu Xi had spent all that time making conversation with him just to wait for Jiang Yanyi to finish cutting the lamb leg and ribs.

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

A prince of Liao Nan would hardly crave roasted lamb and smoked ribs.

Little did he know, just one courtyard wall away, in the west wing of the governor’s residence, a certain noble prince was indeed sitting in a pavilion, chewing on the lamb ribs, sheltered from the wind by bamboo blinds.

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For the next two days, Jiang Yanyi’s shop remained closed.

Several families who wanted to enjoy hot pot sent people over to inquire multiple times, only to leave disappointed.

Initially, they had dismissed the rumors spread by the Hu family, but now they were starting to resent them.

“If you want to target someone, fine, but don’t deprive us of our meals. Now that’s just bothersome.”

The Hu family had recently fallen on hard times.

Acting on Governor Xie’s orders, they’d bribed some local thugs to smear Jiang Yanyi’s shop’s reputation, hoping to settle a score.

But just when they heard her shop had closed, their own flower shop, fabric store, cosmetics shop, and silver shop were all suddenly shut down.

Stunned, the Hu family rushed to cling to Governor Xie, but he was barely able to handle his own troubles.

The high-ranking official they’d banked on, Fan Yaonian, had come to Xizhou on a secret mission from the emperor and didn’t dare openly confront Feng Shuo.

Now, the city was locked down, and Fan Yaonian was hiding, unable to come to their aid.

Desperate, the Hu family tried to bribe other officials, but no one dared accept their gifts with Feng Shuo watching.

Occasionally, they found an official who liked a good meal, but upon remembering that there was no more mutton hot pot to enjoy, they treated the Hu family with disdain.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yanyi’s days were calm and fulfilling.

She lounged in her backyard, basking in the sun, teasing her parrot, and cooking nourishing meals for herself.

Since she injured her foot, she’d been sending her medicinal dishes to Feng Shuo through Okra, her servant.

This morning, Jiang Yanyi noticed her foot wasn’t as sore and felt steadier on the ground.

She had just finished preparing the medicinal dish when a knock at the door announced the arrival of the steward from General Han’s household, asking her to help prepare a feast for a wedding celebration.

“Today’s a holiday, and General Han is getting married. We’d originally hired Master Li, but he’s having trouble with his back and can’t come from the barracks. He recommended you, saying your cooking at the hot pot shop is excellent, and our madam is reassured by having you cater the event.”

Word of Jiang Yanyi’s shop closure had spread throughout Xizhou, so Master Li must have heard and wanted to help her out by suggesting this opportunity.

If she could cater for the Han household, she would gain connections with more powerful families and attract future customers.

Appreciating Master Li’s good intentions and feeling her foot had improved enough, Jiang Yanyi accepted.

Originally, she had planned to deliver the medicinal dish to the Feng residence in person, but now she sent it with Okra and set out with her attendants Yang Xiu and Bing Shao to the Han residence.

On the way, they passed a pharmacy, and she bought several medicinal herbs, thinking that since a general was getting married, there would likely be other military people there.

If she encountered any acquaintances, she could send the herbs to Master Li through them.

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At the Feng residence, when Xing Yao brought the medicinal dish to Feng Shuo, he was reviewing a document.

He set it aside and asked, “Is she still not well?”

Xing Yao replied, “It seems she’s still recovering. If you’re concerned, why not send her some supplements?”

Previously, Feng Shuo had read the thick report on Jiang Yanyi and Lu Linyuan’s past, noting every detail.

Xing Yao, who had served Feng Shuo for years, had never seen such a dark expression on his face.

Feng Shuo said nothing.

Whenever he thought of her obsessive affection for Lu Linyuan and remembered the words Chu Changping had shouted outside the clinic, he felt waves of dark anger welling up inside him.

For the past few days, he had been avoiding her, fearing that he might not control his jealousy and that it would only drive her further away.

Feng Shuo pinched the bridge of his nose and asked, “Is Han Lubo getting married today?”

Xing Yao replied, “Yes, today. The invitation was sent to the manor a few days ago.”

“He’s getting married, so I should make an appearance.” Feng Shuo stood up, took the large cloak hanging nearby, and Xing Yao quickly stepped forward to help him put it on.

Everyone said Feng Shuo was cruel and violent, but his prestige in the army was unmatched.

Privately, he shared life-and-death bonds with his generals.

As Feng Shuo walked toward the gate, he thought, “After attending this wedding, I’ll buy a small gift for Jiang Yanyi on the way back.”

This was already the most he could lower himself.

If all she cared about was Lu Linyuan, then why should he keep embarrassing himself?

He convinced himself that he was being broad-minded, knowing when to let go.

Yet, he failed to notice that his face had grown so dark it was terrifying, and even the servant harnessing the carriage at the door was trembling with fear.

Han’s family had hired more than one chef for the wedding feast, and Jiang Yanyi was the only female chef among them.

She was mainly responsible for stews and broths.

Jiang Yanyi owned a hotpot restaurant that only served clear broth, and her broth-making skills were impeccable.

As long as the heat was controlled, her tasks were mostly easygoing.

When the other chefs were overwhelmed, she could lend a hand.

The head chef from Laifu Restaurant had also been invited to help.

Jiang Yanyi was initially worried there might be friction, but the Laifu chef turned out to be a jolly, plump man with a big belly, whose humorous banter had everyone in the kitchen laughing.

“I’ve had the antique soup at Jiang’s restaurant before. The taste was extraordinary! I told my boss that it’s a good thing Jiang set up her own place. If she had come to work at Laifu Restaurant from the start, I’d probably have lost my job by now!” the Laifu chef bellowed, his voice loud enough to fill the entire kitchen.

He was in charge of stir-frying, flipping the wok with his left hand and stirring with his right, his movements smooth and efficient.

All the while, he kept narrating like a storyteller, “The restaurant boss said, ‘That won’t do. We’ve got to hire Jiang right away.’ I told him, ‘Too late! She’s doing just fine as her own boss. Why would she work for you? You hand over the boss’s title, and then maybe she’ll consider it!’”

“The boss didn’t say a word after that. Now the one losing their job wouldn’t be me—it’d be him!”

Though exaggerated, his words had the whole kitchen in stitches.

Jiang Yanyi smiled, “Master Yao, please don’t tease me. My little shop can’t compare to Laifu Restaurant.”

Master Yao laughed, “I’ve known your teacher, Old Li, for decades. He says you have a natural talent for cooking. Don’t be so modest, young lady.”

The banquet turned out more enjoyable than Jiang Yanyi had expected.

Not only did she meet several renowned chefs, but she also got to hear them gripe about their employers and share amusing stories about tricky food suppliers.

The kitchen was filled with laughter all day.

Jiang Yanyi’s foot injury hadn’t fully healed, so standing for long periods made her uncomfortable.

After finishing her stew and soup, she informed the other chefs and the kitchen manager before heading outside.

The kitchen manager invited her to join the feast, but since she hadn’t brought a gift, Jiang Yanyi felt it would be inappropriate.

She intended to take a stroll outside and look for Head Zhao.

That way, she could ask him to deliver some medicinal herbs to Chef Li.

However, the Han residence was teeming with guests today, and after searching for quite a while, she still couldn’t find Chief Zhao or any familiar faces.

Her foot began to ache, and with so many people around, she couldn’t find anywhere to sit.

She had no choice but to walk toward a more secluded area, stepping over scattered peanut shells and firecracker remnants that made the place look especially festive.

The Han residence had a lake, with a pavilion built over it.

Since winter was approaching and the area was cold, no one was there.

Jiang Yanyi limped her way to the pavilion, hoping to sit down for a bit, only to find someone already there.

It was Lu Linyuan.

He had a book covering his face and seemed to have fallen asleep on the bench.

Jiang Yanyi hadn’t noticed him earlier because the railing had blocked her view.

Hearing her footsteps, Lu Linyuan startled awake, hastily removing the book from his face and sitting up, bowing apologetically, “Forgive me for my rudeness.”

Upon recognizing Jiang Yanyi, his discomfort only grew.

He had never been this careless in front of Jiang Yanyi before.

The reason he had dozed off in the Han family’s pavilion today was due to the overwhelming workload at the office.

The daily tasks kept him up until the late hours, and he was utterly exhausted.

Worried that Lu Linyuan might think this was another contrived encounter, Jiang Yanyi quickly explained, “I saw that there was no one by the lake, so I came over. I didn’t know you were here. I apologize for disturbing you.”

After a polite bow, she prepared to leave. Seeing how difficult it was for her to walk, Lu Linyuan, aware of her foot injury, stopped her and said, “Rest here. I need to head to the front yard anyway.”

Jiang Yanyi was puzzled by his sudden change in demeanor.

Why did he seem like a different person today?

Meanwhile, Feng Shuo had also arrived at the Han residence.

Finding the front yard too noisy, the Han family’s steward was leading him to a side room in the flower hall to rest.

Coincidentally, their path took them past the lake.

From a distance, Feng Shuo spotted two figures in the pavilion—a man and a woman.

He assumed they were some young couple using the wedding as an excuse for a romantic rendezvous.

He wasn’t interested in such things and was about to look away when something about the woman’s figure struck him as familiar.

Looking closer, he realized, well, what do you know!

It was none other than the weak little chef who couldn’t even walk a few steps to deliver his medicinal meals because of her injured foot!

And the man—wasn’t that Lu Linyuan?

Feng Shu’s face instantly darkened.