Chapter 26: Opening a Shop

The wind howled fiercely.

Qin Zhao, who had been punished with a palm strike by his husband, didn’t dare speak to Cao Xi. His reddened, swollen palm remained hidden in his sleeve. When Cao Xi reached out to take his hand, Qin Zhao avoided it.

Cao Xi didn’t think much of it. Qin Zhao was naturally stubborn, and his resistance to hand-holding during the day was nothing unusual.

When they returned home, Li Feng had already purchased all the ingredients they needed for the next two days. The supplies were stacked neatly by the courtyard gate, waiting for Cao Xi to return. Cao Xi opened the door and helped Li Feng move the supplies into the yard.

“Leave that. I can carry it myself. You go inside,” Li Feng said, picking up most of the ingredients and heading into the courtyard.

Qin Zhao followed behind, carrying his share of the supplies. However, his small frame and weaker strength made him noticeably less efficient compared to Li Feng. Watching Li Feng’s tall and sturdy figure ahead, Qin Zhao silently vowed to eat more, grow taller, and become stronger than him.

As usual, Li Feng prepared the ingredients, Cao Xi cooked, and Qin Zhao was responsible for reading. After being punished earlier, Qin Zhao tried to avoid appearing before Cao Xi as much as possible, fearing his swollen palm might be noticed.

Glancing at his reddened hand, Qin Zhao lowered his head and began copying texts. He resolved that next time, he would extend his left hand instead—his right hand was too conspicuous.

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With the rice steaming on the stove, Cao Xi joined Li Feng by the well to help process the fish. Fish balls were their best sellers; meat-based dishes always remained popular.

The two worked quickly, finishing the fish and setting aside the vegetables. Cao Xi stripped the greens of their stems, misted them with water, and covered them with a cloth—a preservation technique he had developed through experimentation.

Once the rice was ready, Cao Xi whipped up a simple meal: scallion-fried eggs, a cold vegetable salad, and a side of fermented tofu—all quick dishes.

Setting the dishes on the table, Cao Xi called out, “Brother Li, dinner’s ready. Let’s eat before continuing.”

Looking at the spread on the table, Li Feng teased, “If I keep eating here, I’ll have to start paying for my meals.”

“What are you saying? You’re like my brother. What’s wrong with eating a little food?”

In this world, Li Feng was one of the few people Cao Xi truly trusted.

“Qin Zhao, dinner’s ready!” Cao Xi shouted in the direction of Qin Zhao’s room.

Dragging his feet, Qin Zhao slowly came to the table. His pace was unusually sluggish, and Cao Xi noticed his awkward grip on the chopsticks, as if his hand lacked strength.

“What’s wrong with your hand?” Cao Xi asked, reaching out to check.

Qin Zhao hastily hid his hands behind his back, refusing to show them. He muttered nervously, “It’s nothing, nothing at all,” but his feeble excuse wasn’t fooling anyone.

Cao Xi didn’t bother arguing. He grabbed Qin Zhao’s wrist and pulled it forward. “Show me your hand!”

Left with no choice, Qin Zhao reluctantly revealed his palm. The redness and swelling were all too clear under Cao Xi’s scrutiny, making his heart ache for him.

“What happened here?” Cao Xi asked, blowing gently on the inflamed palm as if his breath could magically take away the pain.

“I messed up while reciting the Analects today. The teacher caned me for it,” Qin Zhao admitted sheepishly. The gentle puffing made his palm tickle, and he instinctively tried to pull back his hand, but Cao Xi wouldn’t let him.

Watching Cao Xi fuss over Qin Zhao, Li Feng suddenly felt his appetite disappear. Why did this troublemaker, who was seemingly incapable of doing anything useful, deserve so much of Cao Xi’s affection?

Cao Xi said firmly, “Even so, they shouldn’t have hit you. I’ll go talk to your teacher tomorrow.”

“No! Please don’t,” Qin Zhao blurted out in a panic. “It was my fault for not memorizing properly. It won’t happen again, I swear!”

The thought of Cao Xi confronting the teacher was terrifying. Disciplinary actions like this were common, even sought after by others who wanted stricter tutors for their children. How could he let Cao Xi make a scene over something so minor?

“That’s what happens when you don’t focus and keep looking around instead of studying properly. Tonight, after dinner, you’re going to sit down and review!” Cao Xi scolded, glaring at him. Then he went into the kitchen and brought back a wooden spoon for him to use.

Qin Zhao obediently ate the food Cao Xi had picked out for him, savoring every bite. Occasionally, he glanced at Li Feng with a smug look in his eyes.

Li Feng sneered quietly, muttering, “Childish.”

Because of Qin Zhao’s punishment, Cao Xi decided to revoke his privilege of listening to bedtime stories that night. Left with no choice, Qin Zhao spent the evening dryly staring at his books.

---

The next afternoon, Cao Xi and Li Feng packed up their stall early and went to the earthen kiln.

The kiln had fully dried, and Cao Xi, relying on his memories, began the firing process. He carefully stacked the wood inside the kiln and ignited it. Halfway through the burn, he instructed Li Feng to seal all the air vents. Everyone squatted by the kiln, anxiously waiting for the results.

Once the kiln’s temperature cooled, Cao Xi finally allowed them to open it. A wave of hot air rushed out, and Li Feng cautiously retrieved the finished charcoal.

“Did it work?” Cao Xi hovered nearby, visibly impatient.

“It worked, but it’s not as good as the store-bought ones,” Li Feng replied, though his excitement was evident in his eyes. If his hands weren’t full of charcoal, he might have jumped for joy.

“Let me see! Let me see!” Da Yong and Da Zhuang crowded around.

“It really worked! This is amazing!” Da Zhuang exclaimed, hugging Li Feng in excitement.

“This is just our first attempt. It’s normal for the results to be less than perfect. We’ll get better with practice,” Cao Xi said, feeling a renewed sense of confidence in their efforts.

Brimming with optimism, Da Zhuang said firmly, “I believe it! One day, we’ll make charcoal that’s even better than the ones sold outside!”

Everyone’s faces lit up with hopeful smiles. These were people who had once been reduced to begging for survival. Now, through their own efforts, they had taken the first steps toward building a better life. The transformation was nothing short of remarkable.

Time flowed silently, as if unnoticed. The jujube tree in the courtyard bloomed and shed its flowers, yielding harvest after harvest of abundant fruit. In the yard, the two small figures of the past had grown into two tall silhouettes.

Cao Xi no longer needed to set up a street stall. Although it had taken a long time, their research on making charcoal had finally paid off. The charcoal fired in the earthen kiln was now handled in separate roles—Li Feng took charge of sales, while Da Zhuang and Da Yong were primarily responsible for production. Since the techniques had been developed by Cao Xi, he didn’t need to get involved in the physical labor yet still received a portion of the income.

The old temple had been left to Da Zhuang and Da Yong as their residence, while the others moved into town. Li Feng even bought a storefront there, though it was unclear where he had managed to get so much money.

In the market, knockoff skewers with inferior flavor had emerged, creating some competition that slightly affected their business. Cao Xi decided to leave that trade behind and instead focused on selling malatang (spicy hot pot).

The malatang shop was officially under Li Feng’s name, so the profits primarily went to him.

Meanwhile, Qin Zhao had grown rapidly over the past two years. Now, he was old enough to attend the academy on his own.

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Today was no different from usual. As he packed his bag to head home, Qin Zhao was intercepted by Qi Qige. The two had become good friends, and Qi Qige, still reluctant to return home himself, often tagged along with Qin Zhao.

“There’s a new malatang place that just opened, and I heard it’s amazing. Let’s go try it out!” Qi Qige suggested as he sat across from Qin Zhao, watching him pack.

The backpack Qin Zhao carried was identical to the one Qi Qige owned—a high-priced purchase that Qi Qige had reluctantly made from Qin Zhao. Remembering the hefty price, Qi Qige couldn’t help but wince at the memory of being overcharged by his so-called friend.

“You’re paying?” Qin Zhao asked casually.

“Of course I’m paying,” Qi Qige replied. He’d never seen Qin Zhao willingly spend money on anyone else.

People often teased Qin Zhao, calling him Little Cheapskate. The nickname had started after he casually mentioned his bag’s light weight and convenient design. His classmates had pestered him to explain how he’d made it, and he promised to show them “someday.”

The next day, he brought a stack of backpack designs and sold each blueprint for fifty coins, selling out completely.

Initially, Qin Zhao had been known at the academy for his academic excellence. Now, he was famous for his stinginess.

Carrying his backpack, Qin Zhao headed for the door, only to turn back when he noticed Qi Qige still sitting there in a daze.

“Weren’t you talking about malatang? Why are you just sitting there?”

“Oh, right!” Qi Qige jumped up and hurried after him, trying to sling an arm around Qin Zhao’s shoulder but failing miserably.

The two walked down the street together. From a distance, they could already see a long line outside a shop. Above the shop was a sign that read: Han’s Malatang.

Qi Qige frowned. “Why does this ‘Han’ and this ‘style’ look exactly like your handwriting? Both are equally ugly!”

The topic of handwriting was Qin Zhao’s Achilles’ heel. Qi Qige, who excelled at calligraphy, never missed an opportunity to show off.

To be fair, Qi Qige’s handwriting was genuinely impressive—so much so that even the teacher had praised him, saying he had inherited his family’s artistic talent. Qin Zhao’s handwriting wasn’t terrible, but compared to Qi Qige’s, it was a far cry from elegant. Still, it wasn’t so bad that Cao Xi hesitated to ask him to write the shop sign.

Ignoring the preening peacock beside him, Qin Zhao stepped toward the shop, only to be yanked back by Qi Qige.

“Didn’t you see? Your whole family is in that line!”

Qi Qige gestured toward the crowd, drawing Qin Zhao’s attention. Several people were glancing their way, their gazes tinged with curiosity and amusement.

Seeing this, Qin Zhao paused and finally decided against heading inside.

“Wait here for me. I’ll go get the number tags,” Qi Qige instructed before heading towards the counter.

Inside the shop, Cao Xi was responsible for collecting the money and handing out the number tags, while Chuan greeted customers and cleared tables. Li Feng and Shui Niu were in charge of cooking, and Rui Wei helped with washing the vegetables, occasionally lending a hand to Chuan.

When Qi Qige reached the counter, he said, “Two number tags, please.” Just as he finished speaking, the person at the counter was Cao Xi.

Qi Qige was momentarily stunned. He looked between Cao Xi and the door, unsure whether he should stay or what to do.

Cao Xi noticed his awkward expression and smiled, “Do you want to take it to go, or eat here?”

Qi Qige snapped out of it and replied, “Eat here.”

Cao Xi handed him two number tags, and Qi Qige glanced at one. “Number 13?” he muttered, “But I thought there were only twelve people?”

Qi Qige couldn’t believe it. Normally, he never had to wait in line for food. He was wealthy and well-known at various restaurants, so he didn’t have to deal with queues.

Not used to the situation, Qi Qige attempted to strike up a conversation with Cao Xi. “Sister, I’m Qin Zhao’s friend, Qi Qige.”

“I know,” Cao Xi replied with a smile.

Qi Qige wasn’t surprised that she recognized him. After all, Qin Zhao had mentioned him a few times. He also knew that Cao Xi’s environment wasn’t ideal, and there had been quite a few unpleasant events in the past, though he wasn’t sure how she managed to maintain such a cheerful disposition.

“Heh,” Qi Qige chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head.

“Are you trying to cut in line?” Cao Xi asked with a teasing smile.

“Heh, no. Qin Zhao’s with me,” Qi Qige answered without thinking. He did indeed try to skip the line—he was just too used to it.

Cao Xi said, “I’ll call him in, then.”

Qi Qige quickly agreed. “Okay, you go ahead,” and hurried inside.

“Qin Zhao, I saw your fiancée is working here. Let’s go in.” Qi Qige explained, hoping to ease the situation.

Apart from Cao Xi, who was his fiancée, Qin Zhao didn’t seem to have many wealthy connections. Given that Cao Xi worked here, Qi Qige felt his assumption was more or less confirmed.

“Let’s go,” Qin Zhao said, walking in ahead of him.

The people outside waiting in line weren’t pleased and started complaining to Cao Xi. “Why are they cutting in line?”

Cao Xi calmly explained, “This is my brother, not a customer. They’re both from the academy.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhao looked over at Cao Xi and corrected her in a low voice, “Fiancé,” then turned and walked toward the back without looking back.

Cao Xi felt a slight itch in her ear from the warmth of his breath, and a faint pink hue spread across her face. Li Feng had already noticed their interaction when Qin Zhao entered, observing the entire exchange with interest.

Shui Niu glanced over at Cao Xi. “Li Ge, do you like Sister Xi?”

“Sister Qiu Ju will be heartbroken,” Shui Niu added, referring to Qiu Ju, the governor’s maid, who was sharp, clever, and somewhat ruthless. Li Feng had known her since he was thirteen. She was someone who helped him with his secret work. Over time, their relationship had grown more complicated.

Li Feng, however, was irritated by the comment and dismissed it, shaking his head. “Stop gossiping and focus on the work.”

With his usual focus on making money and rising to power, Li Feng had learned to deal with people for his benefit. He was used to relying on trustworthy individuals like Cao Xi to help him navigate his business dealings.

Little did he know, his jealousy of Qin Zhao was beginning to grow. He felt that he could easily replace him in Cao Xi’s life. It was as though someone who had always been outside in the cold had suddenly entered a warm, comfortable room, only to find that the original occupant was now being pushed out.

That night, everything began to change. Li Feng no longer felt entitled to push Qin Zhao aside, but he couldn’t help the bitterness that grew in his chest.