When Jiang Yanyi returned, everyone was still waiting to start eating, clearly waiting for her.

There was an extra plate of braised pig’s head meat on the table, which was a return gift from Madam Chen.

This winter solstice dumpling feast was a joyful gathering for everyone in the shop.

With a bite, the dumpling skin broke, and the hot, flavorful broth burst forth, delicious even without dipping sauce.

Jiang Yanyi had been worried that some people might not like carrots, but it turned out she was overthinking it; the dumplings with carrot filling were actually the most popular.

Several times, Chu Yangu tried to dip his dumplings in chili sauce, but Jiang Yanyi wouldn’t allow it.

While eating, Yang Xiu casually mentioned the matter Jiang Yanyi had entrusted him with a few days ago.

There were still several noodle shops in Xizhou City that made “Xu Mian.”

He had talked to the managers of those shops, but the results were unsatisfactory.

Some noodle shops, seeing the momentum of instant noodles, shamelessly claimed they wanted to buy her recipe for making them.

Speaking of this, Yang Xiu looked frustrated: “There was another noodle shop where the old owner died, and the young owner is a gambler who owes a huge amount of money to the gambling house. When I went to negotiate business, there wasn’t even a manager present. The young owner was completely drunk and suggested we just buy his noodle shop!”

When he mentioned this, Jiang Yanyi was genuinely intrigued.

She raised her head and asked, “How much silver do you think it would take to buy that noodle shop?”

Yang Xiu was taken aback by her question and replied, “At least three to five hundred taels, I guess.”

Jiang Yanyi then asked, “Are the experienced noodle makers still there?”

Yang Xiu hesitated: “Uh… I haven’t inquired that thoroughly yet; I’ll check again later.”

Jiang Yanyi nodded. “Do it as soon as possible.”

She understood that her remaining silver, whether for expanding her shop or opening a branch, was a guaranteed investment.

Throwing that money into a nearly bankrupt noodle shop was a bit risky.

However, Jiang Yanyi was clear that her antique soup shop’s business had stabilized, and she didn’t need to focus too much on it right now.

But if she wanted to grow the antique soup shop quickly, that was unrealistic; there were limitations in various aspects.

Instant noodles were different.

From the perspective of market demand, they were more popular and easier to spread.

From both cost and technical perspectives, making instant noodles was relatively cheap, and the technical requirements were lower than making pots.

If the noodle shop got started, opening branches later would be much easier than with the antique soup shop.

Even if the flavors produced were slightly inferior to those made in later industrial production, in an age without convenient fast food, it would still be sufficient.

She was just a cook and couldn’t come up with preservatives to ensure food safety, but if she opened shops in various states and counties, the people of Da Xuan could still buy her instant noodles!

In ancient times, there wasn’t a concept like franchising.

However, the success of the Lai Fu Restaurant, which copied her antique soup shop, had given Jiang Yanyi a lot of inspiration.

Imitation may come late, but it would never be absent.

Ancient people lacked marketing strategies mainly because their predecessors hadn’t practiced enough, unlike later generations who could learn from various commercial competitions.

Nevertheless, they weren’t foolish; they knew which path was the easiest to profit from.

If she established herself first and became strong enough, bringing people in at that point would achieve a franchising effect.

The Lai Fu Antique Soup Shop had been like a follower, learning everything from her.

The reason they felt fearless was that her antique soup shop wasn’t big enough; at that point, even if she actively sought collaboration, they would look down on her and might even want to absorb her shop entirely.

The benefits brought by instant noodles seemed small now, but once promoted throughout the Da Xuan Dynasty, they would become her primary economic chain, providing financial support for her hotpot restaurant while also laying the foundation for opening it in other places.

“Elder sister, the dumplings are getting cold.”

“Elder sister?” Chu Yangui called Jiang Yanyi several times before she came back to her senses.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Yanyi interrupted her thoughts and turned her head to look at Chu Yangui.

Chu Yangui said, “Your dumplings are getting cold.”

Jiang Yanyi had been lost in thought for too long and felt embarrassed to put down her chopsticks. “I’ve already eaten enough.”

These past few days, seeing how busy everyone was, Chu Yangui understood Jiang Yanyi’s worries.

He said, “Elder sister, if you want to open a larger shop, just do it. Don’t worry about money; I have some here. Before I left the Chu family, my grandmother secretly gave me quite a bit.”

Jiang Yanyi interrupted him, “You should keep those silver notes for yourself in case of emergencies. My shop has enough cash flow for now. Honestly, if I wanted a quiet life, maintaining the status quo would be fine, but I want to see how far I can go.”

---

In Fengfu.

As soon as the large plate of dumplings that Jiang Yanyi sent arrived at the table, an old man with gray hair and ragged clothes picked up a wooden chopstick, grabbed one, and put it in his mouth.

“Hey! Lamb filling!” The old man bit into the dumpling, and a burst of delicious broth gushed out.

He praised, “This lamb flavor is authentic!”

While he was speaking, Chi Qing had already grabbed another dumpling to eat.

The old man, annoyed, hit Chi Qing’s hand with the chopsticks: “Unruly disciple, you don’t respect your teacher at all! Slow down with your chopsticks!”

Chi Qing’s cheeks were puffed out with food as he grumbled in discontent, “Who needs to be polite when it comes to eating?”

Watching the speed at which the two were reaching for the dumplings, Feng Shuo’s temple veins twitched.

Without a word, he reached over and took the plate of dumplings, placing it back in the food box and covering it. “This plate has gotten a bit cold. The kitchen is boiling fresh ones, and they’ll be ready soon.”

The old man, sensing something amiss, eyed the food box with the “Jiang Ji” emblem engraved on it.

He remembered that the girl who ordered wine from him had given the same address.

Nudging Feng Shuo with his elbow, he asked, “Boy, are these dumplings made by that girl from the other day?”

Feng Shuo’s ears turned slightly red.

He pretended not to hear the old man’s question and, with a straight face, began discussing business, “Prince Xinyang has allied with Fan Wei and cut off the court’s grain route. The army down south, suppressing the rebellion, will likely have to requisition grain from the local population…”

The old man wasn’t having it and persisted, “I asked you a question. Are they her dumplings or not?”

Feng Shuo shot him a glance, “You already know the answer. Why ask?”

The old man clicked his tongue and shook his head. “A disciple grows up and ignores his master, can’t even let me taste a dumpling made by my future daughter-in-law.”

Feng Shuo frowned deeply, showing his disdain, “You only taught me half a verse at the Imperial Academy, and you still have the nerve to call yourself my master?”

The old man stiffened and retorted, “Once a teacher, always a father. I was your teacher for half a day, which makes me your respected master for a lifetime.”

Chi Qing chimed in, “Your Highness, there’s carrot filling in those dumplings, and you don’t eat carrots. I’d be happy to help you with that.”

Feng Shuo: “…”

Were these two really not reincarnated starving souls?

Chi Qing, sensing Feng Shuo’s displeasure, quickly put down his chopsticks and sat up straight, acting all proper.

Only the old man, dissatisfied, slapped his chopsticks on the table and stood up, “I’m going to deliver some wine to that girl!”

Chi Qing turned his head and shouted after him, “It’s the antique stew shop next door! Just go in and order a lamb hotpot. I’ll join you soon.”

The old man was somewhat appeased, but he purposely said loudly, intending for Feng Shuo to hear, “At least someone still has a heart.”

Feng Shuo responded calmly, “Why don’t you ask whether he’s going to help you eat or help you pay?”

The old man looked alarmed.

Chi Qing, thick-skinned, chuckled, “Don’t worry, old man. We’ll put it on the public tab.”

Feng Shuo’s temple veins twitched again, while Chi Qing feigned innocence.

Once the old man left, Feng Shuo said, “He came all the way to see you. You two should sit down and have a proper talk.”

Chi Qing’s gaze drifted toward the food box.

Why did it feel like Feng Shuo was just trying to send him away quickly to eat the dumplings?

Feng Shuo noticed his gaze and asked coldly, “What are you looking at?”

Chi Qing reacted swiftly and replied, “I was thinking whether there’s something I should report…”

Feng Shuo, too lazy to expose his lie, said, “Report.”

“While we were searching for the Turkic prince, it seemed like Lu Linyuan was eager to make a name for himself. But recently, he’s been unusually quiet, and a woman has moved into his household. She stays indoors, hardly ever going out. We’re not sure who she is.”

This was new intelligence from their spies, and Chi Qing had just remembered it.