Due to the lack of staff in the shop and the daily hustle of running the antique soup business, the production of instant noodles and seasoning sauces was limited while market demand was immense.

Jiang Yanyi wasn’t the only one feeling anxious; even Chef Yao and Aunt Guo were worried for her.

Both of them came to the shop early and stayed late to help her.

Yang Xiu and Bing Shao also didn’t go back at night, directly merging benches in the front shop, laying a layer of cotton padding underneath and covering themselves with another layer on top to make do while sleeping.

The number of ovens had increased from one to five, yet they were still insufficient.

Everyone was on edge, feeling as if there was a huge gold brick right in front of them, but they couldn’t move it!

The shop’s income still primarily came from the pots, and Jiang Yanyi understood that to make money from instant noodles, they had to move from a retail stage to mass production.

They were currently in the retail phase, working tirelessly every day to produce instant noodles, but the earnings still fell short of what they made from selling pots.

However, if they could produce instant noodles in bulk later, it would be a significant source of income.

After all, only a few people could afford the pots, but instant noodles could be afforded by the general public.

Selling ten noodle cakes might not yield as much profit as selling one pot, but selling a hundred or a thousand noodle cakes could certainly surpass that.

Jiang Yanyi knew that this needed to be approached gradually.

To prevent her staff from burning out, she limited the daily production of noodle cakes and asked Yang Xiu to inquire in the city if there were any noodle shops that specialized in “Xu Mian” (which is similar to what is known today as “hanging noodles,” as they are made from dough that needs to be dried and hang down like dragon whiskers).

Jiang Yanyi planned to collaborate with a noodle shop to produce instant noodles.

People who had worked in the noodle shop were familiar with the dough-making process, and making instant noodles was straightforward.

If they could negotiate a deal, she wanted to borrow the shop’s space and workers for mass production.

However, with more people involved, there would be distractions, and it was only a matter of time before others began to follow suit.

Jiang Yanyi intended to create a brand effect.

This way, even if instant noodles were sold everywhere, the main customer base would still be hers, thanks to the brand effect.

She had originally wanted to make a dipping sauce as well, but just managing the production of instant noodles was already exhausting.

She feared that opening up the market would result in her being unable to keep up with the supply, so she had to temporarily shelve that idea.

In the past few days, the money earned from selling instant noodles and seasoning oil was fragmented and chaotic.

Jiang Yanyi wasn’t very skilled with the ancient abacus and found it exhausting to use her homemade charcoal pencil for calculations.

After miscalculating several times, she became so frustrated that she almost pulled her hair out.

One time, when Chu Yangu returned and saw her panicking while calculating, he said since he had nothing to do, he might as well help her check the accounts.

Jiang Yanyi thought he was just being kind and politely declined a few times, but when Chu Yangu insisted, she finally handed him the account book to take a look.

She intended to let him see the difficulty and give up, but to her surprise, Chu Yangu read through it quickly and soon discovered the problems.

“Elder sister, you’ve missed a line in your accounts here.”

“This part doesn’t match either. It was three wen on the previous page, but now it’s five wen.”

Jiang Yanyi looked confused: “Is that so? Let me take a look.”

She took the account book back and found that the places Chu Yangu had circled indeed had issues.

After correcting them and carefully cross-referencing, the figures in the book finally matched the amount of money received.

Jiang Yanyi was very surprised: “You’re quite skilled at calculations!”

Chu Yangu smiled, revealing a pair of dimples: “If elder sister trusts me, I can help keep track of the shop’s accounts in the future.”

Jiang Yanyi shook her head: “I’m already asking someone to find a teacher for you. Once you have a teacher, focus on your studies, and I can manage the shop myself.”

Seeing how hard Jiang Yanyi was working to run the shop, Chu Yangu had always wanted to help her with something, so he said, “Checking accounts won’t take much of my time.”

Jiang Yanyi thought for a moment and replied, “Then I’ll come to you if I encounter any difficult calculations in the future.”

Even though she only gave him that one statement, Chu Yangu was still very pleased.

The mason Jiang Yanyi had hired had already knocked down the walls of her yard and connected the west courtyard, creating a flower gate.

When Jiang Yanyi went to take a look, she found that the west courtyard had undergone a great transformation.

When she had saved the parrot from falling off the wall, there had only been a pomegranate tree in the west courtyard; now, there were several red plum trees, clearly the handiwork of Feng Shuo.

The house had also been redecorated early on, with furniture ranging from tables and chairs to small items like cushions and blankets fully equipped, making it look ready for someone to move in right away.

It was easy to identify the rooms prepared for her and Chu Yangu.

In Chu Yangu’s room, there were two separated spaces, with Chu Yangu sleeping in the inner room and Chu Zhongye sleeping in the outer room to take care of her.

Perhaps considering his limited mobility, the bed and study desk were positioned close to each other.

On the desk were the four treasures of the study—inkstone and brush— which Jiang Yanyi, an outsider, could tell were extraordinary.

On the other side was a bookshelf filled to the brim with books.

She casually flipped through a few and found that these books were not just randomly stuffed into the shelf for appearance; each one was suitable for Chu Yangu, including collections of poetry by people who had disabilities but were accomplished in their fields—full of fighting spirit and devoid of any despair.

Jiang Yanyi had never known what it felt like to be cherished until now, and at that moment, she felt a surge of emotions, almost to the point of tears.

For someone like Feng Shuo, acquiring a residence was not a significant matter given his status and wealth, but the care and attention he showed toward Jiang Yanyi’s family were meticulous and touching.

The siblings’ rooms were set in the east wing.

In her room, Feng Shuo had placed a small bookshelf, arranging all the travel notes she had previously read about local customs, foods, and cultures.

On the pear wood vanity, a large, gleaming silver mirror reflected almost half of her body.

The vanity was adorned with various cosmetics, and her jewelry box was filled with exquisite hairpins and accessories.

The seasonal clothing in her wardrobe, eight to ten sets, was all the latest fashion, each piece tailored perfectly to her measurements.

On the agarwood writing desk sat the Four Treasures of the Study (brush, ink, paper, inkstone), along with a calligraphy practice book.

When Jiang Yanyi opened it, she found a line of small characters on the first page: “Practice one page daily, do not slack.”

At some point, she had grown familiar with his handwriting.

Looking at the strong, angular strokes of the Slender Gold Script, she could even imagine the steady hand guiding the brush, his wrist held perfectly straight.

Whenever Feng Shuo read or wrote, his expression was always focused, his jawline taut, exuding a refined elegance.

Jiang Yanyi traced her fingers over the characters, a smile tugging at her lips, though her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

What had she done to deserve someone like him who cared for her so deeply?

On Winter Solstice, with everything in the west courtyard finally in order, Jiang Yanyi decided to move into her new home.

Qiukui insisted on staying close to Jiang Yanyi’s room, refusing the large room in the west wing and instead opting for a smaller side room next to Jiang Yanyi’s.

Despite it being a side room, it was still much larger than their previous accommodations, so Jiang Yanyi let her have her way.

Previously, Yang Xiu and Bing Shao had been staying with the other guards under Chu Changping or sleeping on makeshift beds in the shop.

Now, with the spacious courtyard, they moved in along with Aunt Guo.

Jiang Yanyi’s old rented house was kept as a storeroom.

Although moving seemed like a big task, the west courtyard had everything they needed, and they didn’t own much besides bedding and other essentials, so it only took a few trips to complete the move.

However, with a much larger courtyard, sweeping snow had become a more exhausting chore.

Fortunately, Jiang Yanyi and Qiu kui no longer had to do it themselves; Yang Xiu and Bing Shao had taken over this task.

Jiang Yanyi headed to the kitchen to prepare dumplings.

Eating dumplings during the Winter Solstice was an ancient custom, and there was even a folk saying: “If you don’t eat dumplings on the Winter Solstice, your ears will freeze off and no one will care.”

In the world where Jiang Yanyi once lived, dumplings originated during the Eastern Han dynasty, created by the famed doctor Zhang Zhongjing.

Initially intended to treat frostbitten ears, they were called “jiao’er,” shaped like half-moons resembling ears.

Since lamb was the most nourishing meat during winter, Jiang Yanyi decided to make lamb dumplings.

For the vegetable filling, the most nutritious option was carrots.

Making dumpling skins involved kneading dough, which had to be softer than for steamed buns but firmer than for noodles.

Achieving the right balance depended on the skill of the cook.

One small tip for making the dough more elastic was to add a bit of salt to enhance the dough’s gluten.

The saying among white-case (pastry) chefs was: “Alkali gives bones, salt gives tendons.” Even a simple dough had many intricacies.

That morning, Jiang Yanyi had kneaded the dough to just the right consistency without needing to add any salt for extra elasticity.

While the dough was resting, she started preparing the fillings.

Now that Aunt Guo was living with them, Jiang Yanyi had help in the kitchen.

While she kneaded the dough, Aunt Guo had already chopped the lamb filling and some pork filling as well, leaving Jiang Yanyi to simply season them.

To remove the gamey flavor from the lamb, she added Sichuan peppercorn water.

Scallions, ginger, cooking wine, and salt were also necessary.

To enhance the flavor, she ladled in some of the broth she had prepared the night before, mixing it thoroughly before drizzling in sesame oil to lock in the moisture.

It was said that mixing lamb and pork in a 70:30 ratio made for better-tasting dumplings, so Jiang Yanyi prepared a mixed filling as well.

After peeling and dicing the carrots, she worried that some might not like the taste, so she set aside some filling before mixing the carrots with the lamb.

Once the dough had rested, she rolled it into long strips, cut it into small pieces, and flattened them into thin dumpling skins.

Every time she scooped the filling onto the dough, she was generous with the portions, making dumplings with plump, round bellies and neat pleats.

Qiukui started the fire and brought the water to a boil.

Jiang Yanyi added some salt to the pot before dropping in the dumplings, which would prevent them from sticking together as they cooked.

For dipping sauces, many preferred simple vinegar, but Jiang Yanyi liked her dumplings spicy.

While the dumplings boiled, she prepared two small bowls—one with vinegar and the other with prickly ash chili oil, crushed garlic, and aged vinegar.

As soon as the dumplings were ready, the smell of meat filled the kitchen.

Jiang Yanyi asked Qiukui to call everyone for the meal.

She herself packed a variety of dumplings into a food box to send to Feng Shuo.

Aunt Guo watched with a smile.

The relationship between her and Feng Shuo hadn’t been made public yet, so out of shyness, Jiang Yanyi used the excuse of thanking her neighbors to send the dumplings to Feng Shuo.

She also took a plate to Chen Niangzi at the tailor shop.

When she arrived at Feng Shuo’s residence, there was a carriage parked at the gate.

Guessing that Feng Shuo might have guests, she refrained from delivering the dumplings personally and instead asked the gatekeeper to bring them to him.