“Xige’er, you need to trust your Dad. What your Dad makes won’t be bitter, and it’ll be delicious, just like the potatoes you ate yesterday.”

“Really? Then Xige’er wants to eat it,” Xige’er said as he started to act cute, pulling on Gu Linchen’s arm.

The bamboo shoots need to be boiled in a pot first, with a bit of salt. Afterward, they should be put into cold water to soak, which can help remove the bitterness. Since Gu Linchen’s hands were still not fully functional, he guided Feng Ge’er from the side on how to do it.

When Gu Linchen’s Mother returned from the vegetable garden, she immediately smelled the food. She was happy that the family had meat to eat every day. She walked to the door and saw Feng Ge’er cooking at the stove, occasionally checking the fire. Her son was nearby, talking and holding Xige’er’s hand. Xige’er’s gaze followed his mother, and the warm atmosphere in the house filled her with satisfaction. This was how a home should be.

At noon, the table was filled with a large dish of bamboo shoots stir-fried with meat. Gu Linchen had chosen some fatty pork belly, and the meat was fried golden on both sides, making it look very appetizing. There was also a pot of bone broth, rich and fragrant.

Gu Linchen said that Xige’er needed more calcium and that he would make this soup often for him. Xige’er was delighted upon hearing this.

“Dad, this isn’t bitter at all! It’s really delicious!” Xige’er said, his cheeks puffed as he happily ate.

“Xige’er, if you like it, eat more. There will be some for dinner,” Gu Linchen said as he wiped a bit of oil from Xige’er’s mouth.

They had only stir-fried half of the bamboo shoots for lunch, but there were still a lot left. Gu Linchen’s Mother and Feng Ge’er also enjoyed the dish; the bamboo shoots were fresh, tender, and crunchy. They all ate two large bowls of rice.

In the afternoon, Feng Ge’er used the bamboo to carve thirty pairs of chopsticks. Gu Linchen soaked them in water to remove the splinters.

At dinner, Gu Linchen’s Father was also amazed at how delicious the bamboo shoots were. He had never known they could be made so tasty, and he was grateful for his son’s cooking skills. The whole family ate with satisfied expressions.

Gu Linchen went to pick up the cart. As soon as he entered the blacksmith shop, the old blacksmith approached him warmly.

“Young man, you’re here! Take a look at this and see if it’s what you wanted. If anything needs to be changed, just let me know,” the old blacksmith said, leading him to the cart.

Gu Linchen circled the cart and then clasped his hands in thanks. “Thank you, Boss. This is exactly what I wanted.” He was satisfied with the cart and reached into his pocket to pay.

“Well, young man,” the old blacksmith rubbed his hands, a little embarrassed, and said, “I was wondering if you’d be willing to sell me this design. It’s quite unique, and I’d like to sell it in our shop.”

This design was very useful for street food vendors, and it was simple to make. Since this was the only blacksmith shop in town, he didn’t worry about competition.

Seeing the money being offered, Gu Linchen thought it was a good deal. Although he didn’t plan to make money off this, it was easy to replicate, and anyone with the skills could do it. He smiled and replied, “Boss, if you need it, of course, you can buy it. How much would you be willing to pay for it?”

“I’ll offer you five taels of silver. How does that sound?”

“Alright,” Gu Linchen nodded, feeling a bit guilty about taking the five taels of silver so easily. He remembered how Feng Ge’er had spent quite a while peeling those potatoes the other day.

He asked the old man for some paper and a pen. Gu Linchen then sketched a modern vegetable peeler for him and explained its use. The blacksmith listened attentively, repeatedly thanking him and even waived the cost of the cart.

When Gu Linchen pushed the cart out of the blacksmith shop, he attracted the curiosity of several people, all staring at the cart. It was light to push, and Gu Linchen easily moved it forward. He then noticed a vendor selling bowls by the roadside and bought several of them. Seeing that Gu Linchen had no place to store them, the bowl vendor gave him the basket used to carry the bowls.

Gu Linchen opened the side of the iron box and placed the entire basket, along with the bowls, inside. After closing it, he was able to leave just as he arrived. The bowl vendor was left stunned: “This…?”

At the butcher’s shop, the butcher was weighing meat for a customer. Upon seeing Gu Linchen push the iron cart toward him, he asked what he needed today. Gu Linchen glanced down, and the butcher immediately understood. He brought out two large baskets filled with bones and offal.

Gu Linchen considered that they already had meat and bones at home, so he only asked for the offal. The price was the same as before, ten wen per basket. He paid and loaded the cart.

Butcher Wang thought to himself, “This guy is really thrifty. He can clearly afford meat, yet he’s having his husband and child eat this stuff.”

When Gu Linchen returned home, Gu Mother, Feng Ge’er, and Xige’er all circled around the cart, inspecting it. They were amazed when they saw him take out a basket of bowls and a large basket of offal from the small iron box. They couldn’t believe how so much could fit into such a tiny container. After they looked at the cart from every angle, Gu Linchen moved aside.

The offal needed to be cleaned, and Gu Linchen wasn’t willing to handle the dirty, smelly pig intestines. He would only touch them if someone else cleaned them first. Seeing his disgusted expression, Feng Ge’er volunteered to clean the intestines. Gu Linchen, relieved, then took the pig lungs and liver to clean them.

Gu Linchen’s Mother was boiling water inside, and Xige’er wanted to help, but Gu Linchen thought it was like using child labor, especially such a young child. He asked Xige’er to sit quietly aside and gave him the snacks he had bought in town earlier. Xige’er sat there, eating slowly while keeping his eyes on their work, as if learning or maybe acting as a small overseer.

After dinner, Gu Linchen’s Father looked at Gu Linchen and said, “How about I skip work tomorrow and go with you?”

Gu Linchen thought for a moment and shook his head, “Dad, you’ve been working hard lately. It’s better for you to rest at home. Feng Ge’er and I can go.” They had already discussed the plan while dealing with the offal in the afternoon. Feng Ge’er would go with him tomorrow since the weather wasn’t too cold yet. They could make a cold dish with the marinated offal. Since the flavors of the marinade were a bit monotonous, Gu Linchen thought he could cook noodles using the small stove attached to the cart.

To prepare, he also ordered a small table from Uncle Sixth in the village and planned to pick it up early the next morning.

After thinking for a while, Gu Linchen’s Father nodded in agreement. The business might not be great, and there would be too many people at first, but at least there would be some income from carrying packages. If the business didn’t work out, at least they’d have something. With that, everyone went to their respective rooms to rest.

After packing two barrels of spring water, Gu Linchen lay on the bed thinking. Tomorrow would mark the start of his new venture. He felt both excited and anxious. Although he had managed several large family-owned businesses before, he had inherited them and didn’t start them from scratch. Moreover, he wasn’t familiar with this world, so he was a bit nervous about the challenges he might face and how to deal with them. As he kept thinking, his eyelids grew heavy. He had been busy all day and was exhausted.