Chapter 31 (Tofu Pudding)

Xiao Family

It was another day off.

The children didn’t have to go to school but woke up earlier than usual.

The previous evening, during dinner, Xie Qingyun had informed them that the braised food shop was opening!

On opening day, there would be performers like jugglers and lion dancers, creating a festive atmosphere. Xie Qingyun invited Yan Qiushu to watch, assuring her that guards would be there for safety.

Yan Qiushu had been looking forward to this braised food shop and hoped it would open before the Chinese New Year. People love to spend money on good food during this time, even if they aren’t well off.

She hadn’t followed its progress closely since she didn’t know much about running a business. In her previous life, she mainly livestreamed and sold goods, later starting to grow and sell fresh fruits and vegetables. Serious business was new to her.

Now, she felt a pleasant surprise at the opening.

Of course, she had to go check it out.

Her three children, who were having dinner with her, also wanted to go since they enjoyed the braised food. They thought it would be fun to see the store.

The three of them arrived early to wait for Yan Qiushu to finish getting ready.

After Yan Qiushu woke up, she needed to dress up, so they had to wait a bit longer.

She rarely put on makeup, only doing so for special occasions. After being there for over three months, she realized that she looked very different from the original owner.

Though her features were the same, she appeared more confident and self-assured.

As she applied makeup, she drew her eyebrows carefully, added eyeliner to lift her eyes, and used lip balm to enhance her smile.

Over time, her once youthful face transformed into that of a charming young woman.

Shui Yu was taken aback by the change. When Yan Qiushu was ready to leave, Dongdong looked confused: “Are you Sister Shu?”

Yan Qiushu put on a veil, revealing only her big dark eyes. She blinked and asked, “What do you think?”

Wan’er excitedly ran to her and hugged her legs, exclaiming, “Sister Shu, you look so beautiful!”

Yan Qiushu smiled, hugged Wan’er, and said, “You’re beautiful too!”

Wan’er wore a lovely light yellow dress, resembling a blooming flower in winter. Shy from the compliment, she blushed and leaned into Yan Qiushu’s embrace.

Unable to carry her, Yan Qiushu held her hand and took Dongdong and Shen Pingyu out in a carriage.

They arrived before 9 o’clock.

Many people were already gathered around the braised food shop.

Before the grand opening, they had run a trial for three days, allowing people to taste the food, which became quite popular.

With everything offered at a 20% discount for the grand opening, many were eager to be the first customers.

People were used to enjoying braised food, and its aroma attracted them even from a distance.

As they approached, Yan Qiushu caught the delicious smell from the carriage.

After getting out, she was thrilled to see the lively streets and crowded shops. 

This was her idea!

And she owned 20% of the shares!

Dongdong, Wan’er, and Shen Pingyu were amazed by the scene. Dongdong said, “So many people!”

Wan’er stood on tiptoe but still couldn’t see anything. Disappointed, she asked, “Sister Shu, what should we do?”

Yan Qiushu felt the same. She suggested, “Let’s just enjoy the atmosphere!”

“Ah?” the children asked in unison.

Yan Qiushu spotted a quiet shop selling tofu pudding and decided to buy four bowls for them to enjoy while they watched: “Let’s stay here.”

She couldn’t take three kids into the crowd.

The area was a commercial street with a few two- or three-story teahouses and restaurants, but the buildings around were private residences, so they couldn’t go up.

“Okay!” The children nodded and sat down.

Even though I couldn’t see everything clearly, I was still enjoying myself with the food.

Yan Qiushu took a bite of the tofu pudding and gulped it down. She smacked her lips but still felt it was lacking. The tofu pudding was soft, like water but not quite, and melted in her mouth with a light sweetness.

She asked, “Boss, do you have any sugar?”

The boss replied cheerfully, “Yes, Miss! Would you like some sugar?”

Yan Qiushu nodded, added sugar to the four bowls of tofu pudding, paid, and kept eating.

Even though the price of this tofu pudding had gone up a lot, it tasted better now. The sweetness mixed well with the smooth tofu pudding. When it touched her tongue, it turned watery and spilled over her lips and teeth, making the sweetness from the sugar feel just right, not too heavy.

Dongdong and the others rarely ate at stalls like this, so they were enjoying their food. Wan’er took a sip and looked at Yan Qiushu, saying, “Sweet, smooth, and delicious!”

Shen Pingyu took small bites and smiled, “Hmm, it’s really good.”

Dongdong drank all his in one gulp and wiped his mouth, “It’s delicious! Sister Shu, I want more!”

The boss smiled, “Thank you for the compliment! Can I give you some for free?”

“No, just a taste.” Yan Qiushu stopped the boss and looked at Dongdong, “If you eat too much, you won’t have room for lunch!”

Dongdong nodded and looked around.

Just then, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air, signaling the start of the opening festivities. The crowd cheered, and a lion dancer leaped out from the crowd.

The three children were amazed, staring in awe: “Wow… so cool!”

Meanwhile, in an apartment on the second floor of a nearby building, a man and a woman were quietly discussing. “The Sixth Prince will come over later. Don’t worry; he’ll take the bait…”

The woman smiled nervously, “The Third Prince is in trouble, and the Fifth Prince is taking advantage of it to deal with the Qiao family. Concubine Lu is very persuasive. We need the Sixth Prince to believe you can help him with the Xiao family, or the Fifth Prince will really take over…”

Yan Qiuyuan, worried, reminded him not to mess up.

Nobody expected the Qiao family to have problems so soon, especially with the Xiao family behind it!

This was strange. In her past life, the Xiao family had been allied with the Third Prince. They would never help anyone, putting themselves at risk.

When the Third Prince fell, the old emperor attacked the Xiao family. Young Xiao Pingzhou was imprisoned, and Xiao Huaiqi had to ask for forgiveness, which left him bedridden.

Afterward, the Fifth Prince and Sixth Prince factions fought against each other, trying to weaken the Xiao family, who were also attacked while Xiao Huaiting was away.

But now the Xiao family, who were supposed to abandon the Third Prince’s cause, were taking action themselves. It was all happening too fast, as if they already knew about the Qiao family’s situation.

Could it be because of her rebirth?

Yan Qiuyuan was worried. What if this affected her fiancé’s chances for the throne? Would her efforts against Yan Qiushu be in vain?

The path to becoming emperor is full of dangers.

Jin Wang’s son, Zhou Zejing, softly reassured her, “No, I’ve already contacted the Song family…”

Just then, loud sounds interrupted them: “Dongdong…”

“Tap, tap, tap…”

The noise of gongs and drums grew louder, drowning out his voice. The man froze and looked out the window. The crowd was cheering, and the excitement was overwhelming.

It was really loud, and… 

It smelled so good!

In this noisy atmosphere, they couldn’t speak quietly.

This made it hard for them to secretly meet the Sixth Prince later. With so many people around, if they were spotted, it would be a disaster for Prince Jin’s Mansion!

Zhou Zejing frowned, “Who opened a shop here? They can’t open tomorrow!”

After a while, a confidant knocked and came in, bowing respectfully, “My Lord, it’s the Xiao family. They bought the shop in front a few days ago…”

Both of them were shocked: “?”

“They bought such a remote shop???”

The confidant, smelling the delicious fragrance, guessed, “Maybe good wine doesn’t need a bush^[1]means that good things don’t need extra promotion to be noticed.?”

They both were speechless: “…”