Yan Qiushu left the kitchen and didn’t return to Xie Qingyun right away.

The main reason was that since they were finally alone together, she didn’t want to be a third wheel. They’d all eat together later anyway.

So, she wandered around the village.

It was almost noon, and the warm sun made everything feel cozy. The wind had stopped, so it wasn’t cold anymore.

As she walked, she reached a nearby village and caught a faint fishy and musty smell.

Yan Qiushu turned to leave but saw two middle-aged men carrying something. They were laughing and chatting as they walked along the path towards the next village.

There weren’t many people around, so the two men spoke loudly. One of them said, “Brother, we’ve got quite a lot of water this time. Sanya’s family hasn’t had any meat for a while. How about sending some over?”

The other man laughed, “Are you silly? If you send this to Sanya’s family, her father might marry Sanya off to someone else. You’ve got to give them something better, like pork ribs.”

“That’s true, but I haven’t gotten my wages yet. If my nephew hadn’t asked for meat, my mom wouldn’t have let me buy this water…”

Is pig offal really that cheap?

And are pork ribs also considered cheap?

Yan Qiushu chuckled. No wonder she smelled something bad earlier—it was unwashed pig offal. In her past life, she also raised pigs, but she never smelled offal this bad.

But this young man was quite bold, wanting to give something so smelly to his future father-in-law. If he did, he’d probably get beaten up. Pig offal is hard to eat and can make someone feel sick.

Actually, pig offal is considered valuable in modern times. If cleaned well and stewed, it has no odor and sells for a high price.

Wait!

Expensive?!

Yan Qiushu smacked her forehead and froze.

“Snap!” Shui Yu, startled, asked, “Miss, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Yan Qiushu turned back with bright eyes and said excitedly, “No, I just discovered a business opportunity!”

“Huh?” Shui Yu looked confused.

Yan Qiushu didn’t wait. She picked up her skirt and started running, saying, “Let’s go! Let’s find the young lady!”

“Oh, okay.” Shui Yu hurriedly followed.

After jogging a few steps, Yan Qiushu stopped again, disappointed. She had walked all morning and was exhausted. She was already hungry, and she couldn’t run anymore!

What a coincidence.

When she returned to the manor, Yan Qiushu bumped into Yunniang carrying a large pot of chicken stewed with mushrooms. Of course, there were other dishes besides this one.

A simple mushroom soup, a stir-fried vegetable dish, and steamed fish were served. The portions were small, but there were many different kinds.

Seeing Yan Qiushu, Yunniang, who was carrying a heavy tray, bowed and greeted, “Hello, young lady.”

“There’s no need to be so formal,” Yan Qiushu replied with a smile. “By the way, I’ve left some spices in the kitchen. Feel free to use them. When they run out, you can buy more from the pharmacy—they really help bring out the flavors.”

“Thank you, young lady!” Yunniang said, surprised. Just before coming here, her son had asked her to find out how to make the food smell so good. She didn’t expect the noblewoman to be so kind and share the secret.

Yan Qiushu smiled and walked in with her.

Xie Qingyun and Xiao Huaiqi were already in the hall. When they saw her, they hurried over and asked, “Where have you been? I sent someone to find you, but they couldn’t.”

Yan Qiushu felt a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry to worry you. I just walked around the manor and returned on time.”

“That’s good! Come sit down and eat. We were outside and smelled this amazing fragrance, so Jingming ^[1]which is Xiao Huaiqi’s pen name. and I came back to wait.” Xie Qingyun laughed, covering her mouth. “Ah Shu, your cooking is really wonderful. The one who marries you will be lucky!”

Yan Qiushu smiled shyly and sat down with them. “This is chicken stewed with mushrooms. You should try it; it has Hericium erinaceus in it, and it’s super delicious!”

“Yeah.” Xiao Huaiqi nodded, smiling. “It smells great! I wonder where Miss Yan learned to cook like this?”

As he spoke, a server filled his bowl. He closed his eyes and took a deep sniff. He seemed to ask casually.

Yan Qiushu was about to take a spoonful of the chicken stew when she instinctively said, “I learned from many people. I don’t have a fixed master. I just watch and learn from those who know how to cook. I practiced a lot and maybe have some talent.”

She felt a bit guilty as she spoke.

When she first cooked, it was just okay, and how it looked depended on luck. Later, she decided to learn seriously to make cooking videos. Luckily, information was easy to find online, so she practiced repeatedly, faced many failures, but eventually succeeded.

Meanwhile, the young man at the main seat had a thoughtful look. He picked up a piece of tender chicken and put it in his mouth to taste before asking his next question.

However, as soon as he took a bite, he forgot his questions.

The chicken pieces were small, about the size of a thumb. After being cooked for a long time, they absorbed the mushroom flavor. The soup was thick, coating the chicken.

The taste was incredible. 

Xiao Huaiqi couldn’t find the right words to describe it but suddenly understood why people say, “eat 300 lychees a day” ^[2]phrase used to describe something that is extremely delicious.. He used to wonder if lychees were really that good, but now he felt like he could eat three hundred bowls!

The dish looked dark and aromatic but was much less spicy than other dishes Yan Qiushu had made before. The soup’s deliciousness made him forget everything else and focus on the food in front of him.

After the soup, he tasted the tender meat. Since the restaurant aimed to raise young chickens, they used chickens that were two or three months old. The meat was tender, and even after long cooking, it remained soft and juicy, bursting with flavor when bitten. 

After finishing one piece, Xiao Huaiqi didn’t even look at the other dishes; he reached for a second piece of chicken.

Yan Qiushu and Xie Qingyun were doing the same. Yan Qiushu had initially wanted to talk to Xie Qingyun about opening a fried chicken shop soon, wondering if the shops would go unused. She thought it might be better to open a braised food shop instead. 

But now, all she wanted was to finish eating this delicious meal!

Feeling a bit unsatisfied, she asked for rice, one bowl for each person. She poured some hot brown soup over her rice, mixing the flavors. The soup stained the rice lightly brown, blending the delicious flavors of the soup and rice together.

Yan Qiushu took another bite. The rice was now fluffy and not sticky, with a perfect balance of salty and sweet. She felt she could eat several bowls of this soup with rice!

Seeing her enjoy her meal, Xie Qingyun looked curious.

Yan Qiushu noticed and recommended, “Madam, you should try it too. This soup is the essence of the dish!”

The chicken and mushroom flavors were infused in the soup, making it incredibly tasty.

Xie Qingyun smiled and agreed, “Okay, I’ll give it a try.” She poured a small spoonful of soup over her rice, careful not to make it too salty.

The taste was mild but just right for her. The sweetness of the rice balanced the rich soup flavor, making the rice even more delicious.

Xie Qingyun’s eyes brightened, and she gave Yan Qiushu a thumbs up. She then encouraged her husband, “You should try it too!”

Yan Qiushu happily enjoyed her meal, but the bowls were small. She finished quickly and felt shy about asking for more food. So, she drank another bowl of light mushroom soup and ate a few more bites of chicken and mushrooms.

Soon, she couldn’t eat anymore. Her stomach was not big enough yet, so she had to put down her chopsticks and drink some tea to get rid of the grease.

At about the same time, Xie Qingyun and Xiao Huaiqi were also full. Xiao Huaiqi’s jade-like face had a blush, and her expression became a little lazier and less distant, making her look particularly attractive. No wonder the young lady of the Xiao family would marry him despite opposition.

Yan Qiushu took a look and suddenly thought, if Xiao Huaiting was whiter, would it be the same? The thought flashed through her mind, and she quickly shook her head, ignoring the idea that suddenly popped up. She looked at the two of them and said, “When I went out just now, I thought of a new idea. I heard that pig offal is very cheap now?”

The original owner was the daughter of the Yan family. Even though she was a concubine, she had people to serve her and didn’t understand these everyday things.

Yan Qiushu also didn’t understand ancient history and customs, only having a superficial understanding of many things, so she only realized this now.

When she asked, Xie Qingyun, who was in charge of the household affairs, nodded immediately but said, “Few people like to eat this. Even those who specialize in selling pork would rather sell it at a low price. It is difficult to handle. If you want to use it to do business, I’m afraid it will be hard.” 

Yan Qiushu smiled and said, “The main thing is, there is a way to make these things taste good and not smell bad. It is also very simple. By then, the food made will be worth twice as much, and people should buy it.”

Xie Qingyun was surprised but a little uncertain and was about to ask for more details.

Xiao Huaiqi smiled and said, “Ah Shu’s cooking skills are amazing. She can make a chicken stewed with mushrooms so delicious. If you can guarantee this, then this business should be no problem.”

Yan Qiushu noticed that Xiao Huaiqi had changed how he addressed her, which made her believe he now trusted her. Feeling encouraged, she nodded eagerly and said, “Don’t worry, everything will go smoothly. By the way, there’s something else I wanted to mention. It might be a bit early to bring it up, but it’s good to plan ahead. We’ve raised so many chickens, and they produce quite a lot of waste. We can use it as fertilizer and even raise fish with it. There’s no need to let it go to waste…”

This was what she thought when she saw the room full of little yellow chickens. With so many chickens, just dealing with their manure is a big problem. It would be a waste to just use it as fertilizer. Raising fish can also provide an additional source of revenue, such as… the grilled fish restaurants that are popular in major shopping malls! 

But this topic was a little indecent. Xie Qingyun looked at the two of them hesitantly, seeing one very interested, with sparkling eyes, and the other a little lazy. Now they sat up straight, interested and thoughtful. She didn’t say anything again. 

Forget it. There are no outsiders here anyway. They have sent the maids and old women out to eat. For now, there are only three of them here. 

“It sounds interesting, but can this really be used to raise fish?” Xiao Huaiqi was indeed very interested. If this were true, many resources could be utilized for each other. He pinched the cold jade pendant on his waist and subconsciously began to think about how to maximize the use of this matter.

Yan Qiushu nodded thoughtfully and said, “Yes, chickens and ducks have short intestines, so they can’t digest everything they eat. Their waste is perfect for feeding fish, but you can’t add too much at once. If the water becomes too murky, the fish won’t be able to breathe, and that could cause problems. I’m not sure if it’s safe to use more.”

Speaking of chickens, ducks, and fish, she had actually raised them before, but it was difficult for her to go into too much detail. She could only give a rough outline, which looked like a mix of theoretical knowledge.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Huaiqi immediately asked: “What if…”

The two of them went back and forth like this, and when they were finally on their way back, sitting in the carriage, Yan Qiushu leaned weakly on Shui Yu’s shoulder and said in a weak voice, “I’m so tired!”

Shui Yu laughed and served tea: “Drink some water, girl. Don’t tell me if you are tired next time. The young master is a very good person.”

Yan Qiushu shook her head silently; Shui Yu didn’t understand.

She also understood how powerful Xiao Huaiqi was. This guy is so talented! There are many more bosses than in her previous life who promised her good things and made her work overtime until she felt sick and couldn’t bear it.

First, she gave him a gift for meeting him. Then, the change from Miss Yan to Ah Shu made her feel trusted. There was no discomfort or contempt in her words. She humbly asked for advice. She originally planned to give only a general idea, but in the end, she felt hollowed out! 

Fortunately, Yan Qiushu still retained a trace of clarity in the end. Even if she said a lot, she only said that it was a record in a miscellaneous book she had read before. The geographical location and environment would have an impact on the actual operation and would not involve herself at all, so that if her identity was exposed in the future, she would have an excuse.

At this time, a piece of chestnut cake was brought to her mouth. She subconsciously opened her mouth. Shui Yu smiled and said, “Then you should eat more to replenish your body.”

Yan Qiushu smacked her lips. The chestnut cake was so delicious! It is sweet but not greasy, has a powdery texture, and has the fragrance of chestnuts.

While eating, Yan Qiushu thought of roast chicken with chestnuts. Oh, there are so many delicious foods; when can I eat whatever I want?!