Chapter 38: Sweet

Cao Xi arrived at the spicy hotpot shop early in the morning, looking around but not seeing Li Feng’s figure.

“Shui Niu, have you seen Brother Li?”
Shui Niu replied, “He bought a house in the town. He’s at the official’s house today.”

Since Li Feng wasn’t around, Cao Xi decided to get started with the work, pushing ahead with the tasks at hand.

During lunch, the shop started filling up with customers. With Li Feng absent, the pressure in the kitchen fell on Shui Niu alone, and Cao Xi asked Chuan and Xiu to help him.

Cao Xi took care of cleaning the tables, and although he was busy, he didn’t mind it—it wasn’t too tiring.

Xiao Rui, as usual, came to help without being asked. She worked diligently, washing vegetables and dishes in the courtyard, never complaining once.

Cao Xi secretly planned to give her a share of the profits, so that the siblings could have their own room in the shop.

The shop was busy until late afternoon, when there were only two customers left. Qin Zhao and Qi Qige arrived, and Cao Xi quickly told Shui Niu to make sure they were comfortable.

Qi Qige led the way, and the three of them left for a restaurant, stopping at a large tavern.

“This is the shop,” Qi Qige said, introducing Cao Xi.

It was a two-story building located on a busy street in the town. Qi Qige mentioned that the rent for such a location was enough for them to buy a small house on the edge of the town.

Cao Xi was shocked, her mouth opening in surprise. “What kind of business do they do here?”

Qi Qige smiled brightly and explained, “The shop’s earnings aren’t bad. We just changed to this location, it’s perfect for our hotpot business.”

The tavern was bustling with customers. Wasn’t it a good place?

However, Qi Qige’s stepmother had been taking a cut of the shop’s earnings, and the account books showed that the tavern was losing money every month.

Fortunately, Qi Qige had managed to take back what was rightfully his, and he didn’t have to go back to his stepmother again.

He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of his stepmother’s furious gaze. It felt so satisfying—he’d taken back his mother’s dowry, and the Qi family had finally paid for their wrongs.

---

The first floor of the tavern was spacious and bright, with elegant decorations that clearly took a lot of thought. The first floor had a kitchen that didn’t interfere with the dining area, and the kitchen was well-equipped, with areas separated for cold and hot dishes. Vegetables and meats were neatly arranged, and the kitchen didn’t look like one in a losing business.

Cao Xi didn’t have any questions; he understood that every place has its challenges, especially for someone like Qi Qige.

The second floor had a dining hall surrounded by private rooms. The entire layout was well-planned, with no need for any further renovations. The three of them sat in a private room by the window, enjoying the surrounding scenery.

Cao Xi couldn’t help but praise, “The decor is so beautiful here!”

“When can we start our business?” Qi Qige asked, his eyes lighting up. He had already dismissed the workers from the old tavern, a group of people who were used to eating leftovers.

“Once the shop is decorated, I’ll come up with a simple plan and we can start dividing the areas for the business,” Cao Xi replied.

He wasn’t worried about saving money; he simply didn’t want to ruin the beautiful decor of the tavern.

Qi Qige nodded. “The tavern’s location is excellent, and the place is large enough to accommodate two people without problems. If you want, we can move in here and live.”

Cao Xi had been thinking of buying a house, and with enough money, the landlord had signed a five-year lease for the house. Two of those years were almost up, and she was waiting for Qin Zhao to settle in before making any purchases.

Just as Cao Xi thought about it, Qin Zhao, who had been looking out the window, turned his head to tell her something but overheard Qi Qige’s suggestion about moving in. He immediately kicked him under the table.

Qi Qige, feeling wronged, couldn’t understand. He was just trying to help. As a single man, how could he understand how blissful it was to live together in peace, away from the crowd?

Cao Xi laughed and said to Qi Qige, “No, we’re used to living quietly. We want to stay away from the noise. Qin Zhao needs a space for his work too, so let’s prepare a room for him with a desk.”

Cao Xi didn’t want to be in the tavern all the time; she didn’t want to be the shopkeeper standing at the counter all day. She had more important things to focus on.

“I’ll prepare a room for you,” Qi Qige said, turning to ask Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao, still confused, looked back at him. “What do you need to prepare for me?”

When Cao Xi arrived at the spicy hot pot shop early in the morning, he looked around but did not see Li Feng’s figure.

“Shui Niu, have you seen Brother Li?” he asked.

Shui Niu replied, “He bought a house in the town today and is dealing with the government office.”

Since Li Feng wasn’t around, Cao Xi got to work, focusing on the busy tasks at hand.

At lunchtime, fewer people came to the shop. Since Li Feng was absent, the pressure in the kitchen fell entirely on Shui Niu. Cao Xi asked Chuan Yan to help him.

Cao Xi took care of cleaning the tables in the dining area, and although he was very busy, it was quite tiring.

Xiao Rui came over to help and was very diligent, washing vegetables and cleaning the dishes in the yard without a word of complaint.

Cao Xi secretly calculated the profit sharing and planned to give Xiao Rui and his sister a sum to help them move into a proper house.

The day passed quickly. By the time the afternoon came, there were only two guests left in the shop. Qin Zhao and Qi Qige arrived, and the shop was nearly empty.

Cao Xi asked Shui Niu to prepare a table for them. If Li Feng returned, he could wait, as he had to handle some matters.

Qi Qige led them to a tavern, where they stopped after a half-hour walk.

“This is the shop,” Qi Qige said as he introduced it to Cao Xi.

The tavern was a two-story building located in a bustling part of the town. According to Qi Qige, the rent for this area was enough to buy a house on the edge of the town.

Cao Xi gasped, “Is this place really for sale?”

Qi Qige chuckled, “The profits from this shop aren’t great, so I decided to rent it out. We’re planning to open a hotpot restaurant here.”

Inside the tavern, there was a constant flow of people. It was quite a popular location.

The shop had been losing money, with Qi Qige’s stepmother taking a large portion of the earnings. However, Qi Qige managed to reclaim what was rightfully his.

Despite the situation with his stepmother, Qi Qige couldn’t help but feel pleased. It was satisfying to take back his mother’s dowry and leave the Qi family behind.

---

The shop had a spacious and bright first floor with elegant decorations. The kitchen was well-organized, with separate areas for cold and hot dishes. The layout was efficient, and the kitchen didn’t look like a place that had been losing money, though it still had its issues.

The second floor had a lounge area surrounded by private rooms. The entire tavern was well-designed, so no further renovation was needed. The three of them sat in a private room by the window, enjoying the view outside.

Cao Xi couldn’t help but praise, “This place is stunning. The design is perfect.”

“When do we start working here?” Qi Qige asked.

He mentioned that he had already let go of the tavern’s workers, and now there was only a group of people left to clean up.

“We won’t need to do much renovation,” Cao Xi said. “Once I return, I’ll sketch out a simple plan for the layout of the hotpot restaurant.”

He wasn’t trying to save money, but he was impressed by the elegance of the tavern’s design and didn’t want to ruin it.

Qi Qige asked, “Are you sure? The place has a nice courtyard, and it can easily accommodate two people. If you want, we could move in here.”

Cao Xi hadn’t bought a house yet, but since he had the money, he could probably buy a house once Qin Zhao settled in.

---

Qin Zhao was lost in thought, staring out the window. When he turned around to look at Cao Xi, he heard Qi Qige suggesting they move in. He immediately kicked Qi Qige in the leg.

Qi Qige felt a little aggrieved. He had only been trying to help Qin Zhao. After all, he didn’t understand the appeal of living alone as a single person. For him, a two-person world seemed more peaceful than living with a group of people.

Cao Xi smiled and said to Qi Qige, “No, we’re used to living quietly. Qin Zhao prefers somewhere away from the noise. Just prepare a room for me, and I’ll set up a desk.”

Cao Xi had never imagined managing a tavern like this, and he had no interest in standing at the counter. Fortunately, Qi Qige was doing most of the work.

“I’ll prepare a room for you,” Qi Qige said, turning to ask Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao was confused. “What do you need the room for?”

Li Feng was slightly flustered. He had just been with Qiu Ju and was caught by Cao Xi, and now the words he wanted to explain got stuck in his throat. He looked down at the table, his gaze dull as he said, “No.”

It was an unexpected answer. The intimacy between them didn’t seem like an ordinary relationship, and the young woman didn’t appear to be a courtesan. Cao Xi was momentarily confused about Li Feng.

Seeing that Cao Xi remained silent for a long time, Li Feng teased, “What? Are you upset because I got caught by a little brat?” His comment made Cao Xi laugh. It reminded him of Qin Zhao’s occasional temper tantrums, which made him laugh quietly.

“Don’t call him that. If he hears it, he’ll throw a tantrum,” Qin Zhao had said, though he had already passed the imperial examination and was now considered an accomplished man.

Li Feng smirked. “He’s truly lucky. He met someone like you. As for me, I met wolves.”

The mood died down with that brief exchange.

Cao Xi didn’t think Qin Zhao was lucky. Originally, he had been a wealthy young master, but he ended up losing his parents and becoming a beggar.

---

Cao Xi returned to the shop, where Qin Zhao was tying on an apron and rolling up his sleeves, making leek pies in the kitchen. He had to admit that a man who could cook was indeed charming.

Seeing Cao Xi return, Qin Zhao sped up his work, saying, “Almost done.”

Cao Xi didn’t reply, leaning against the doorframe and watching Qin Zhao prepare the food. His movements were fluid, like a dance, and if not for the white streak on his forehead, Cao Xi would have thought he was a seasoned chef.

After a long time without hearing a response, Qin Zhao looked up and saw Cao Xi staring at him with a smile in his eyes.

Qin Zhao raised an eyebrow, his lips curling. “What’s this? Do I have something on my face? Go wash up and set the table.”

When Cao Xi finished setting the table, Qin Zhao brought over a plate of leek pies and poured a bowl of congee for him.

Cao Xi looked at the food on the table and smiled. “Is this breakfast?”

Qin Zhao smiled. “I bought fresh leeks today, and I thought eating only leek pies might be too heavy, so I made a pot of congee as well.”

Cao Xi picked up a leek pie and took a big bite. The flavor was fragrant and savory.

After swallowing, Cao Xi said, “I don’t know why, but these leek pies taste a little sweet.”

Cao Xi squinted and took another bite.

Qin Zhao frowned. “Sweet? I didn’t put any sugar in them.”

Cao Xi smirked and took another bite.

Qin Zhao, now a bit suspicious, took a bite himself and, to his surprise, found that the pies did indeed taste slightly sweet.

“Are you messing with me?” Qin Zhao glared at Cao Xi.

Cao Xi laughed, his voice full of mischief.

Qin Zhao suppressed his smile, added a piece of pickled vegetable into his congee, and took another bite of the leek pie. Indeed, it was a little sweet.

---

After finishing their meal, the two of them sat under the jujube tree to relax in the cool evening air.

Qin Zhao asked, “Did you invite Li Feng to join the hotpot shop?”

Cao Xi nodded. “I did, but he turned me down.”

Hearing that, Qin Zhao grinned foolishly.

He sneakily reached out to take Cao Xi’s hand, but as soon as his fingers brushed against it, Cao Xi stood up.

Cao Xi said, “Forget it. I’m going to cancel the evening plans. I’m working on the layout for the tavern.” With that, he turned and walked back to the room.

Qin Zhao retracted his hand, feeling a little embarrassed. He scratched his nose and decided to go back to his studies. After all, passing the imperial exam wasn’t easy.