In the kitchen.

Ye Li sat on a small stool before the stove, Jiang Ya nestled in his arms, his little arms wrapped around his neck as he chattered happily about his afternoon gathering firewood.

Though utterly trivial childish chatter, Ye Li showed no impatience, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

The little one had filled out a bit, feeling quite comfortable in his embrace.

But the moment Jiang Mai’s voice rang out, the little one in his arms froze, then shot out of his embrace with a “whoosh,” shouting “Big Brother! Big Brother!” as his tiny figure dashed out of the kitchen in a flash.

Staring at his now-empty embrace, he felt both amused and exasperated.

You ungrateful little thing!

The moment he saw Big Brother, he completely forgot about his dear Ye Li.

Still, upon hearing Jiang Ji’s familiar voice, he cleared his throat and pushed himself up, hands braced on his knees.

He was starting to grow fond of the little one’s big brother, too.

In the courtyard, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya each grabbed one of Jiang Ji’s hands, pulling him into the kitchen while chattering away about the stewed meat. They also mentioned Jiang Tong, Brother Li’s advice, and the forty taels.

But the two were young, excited at the moment, and the matter itself was complicated, so their explanations were all over the place.

Jiang Ji listened, completely baffled.

But this confusion actually helped ease the tension in his heart—yes, before entering the door, he had actually felt a bit nervous.

Truthfully, he had a proper reason for returning this time.

Yet, the moment he thought of Ye Li, inexplicably, he felt a bit nervous.

The two youngsters were speaking incoherently. He looked up and saw Ye Li appear at the kitchen door. Naturally, he asked, “Is this meat from Brother Datong?”

Ye Li stared at the tall, slender figure before him. The courtyard was too dark; he couldn’t really make out his husband’s face, but that didn’t dampen his good mood.

He smiled warmly. “Yes, dozens of pounds. You’re back just in time—no need to make a special trip to the private school tomorrow.”

Bring meat to the private school tomorrow?

Jiang Ji bit his lip in the darkness, struggling to suppress the smile threatening to spread across his face.

Was he really that preoccupied with him?

Clearing his throat, he asked, “What exactly happened to Brother Datong?”

“It’s a long story. Sit down and rest first. The meat will be ready soon.”

Ye Li beckoned him over.

So Jiang Ji led the two little ones into the kitchen.

The kitchen was dilapidated, dimly lit by an oil lamp.

His presence made the cramped space feel even smaller.

Jiang Ya’s mind was filled with thoughts of his eldest brother. The moment they entered, he let go of Jiang Ji’s large hand and scampered toward the cupboard on his short legs. “Big Brother, eat some fried dough sticks! Brother Li just made these this afternoon.”

Jiang Mai slapped his forehead and dashed back out. “Big Brother, I’ll fetch water for you to wash your hands!”

The two little ones bustled about happily, each busy with their own task.

But their eldest brother only stared at Ye Li beside the stove.

His dark eyes were fixed on him.

Ye Li also looked at him.

Their gazes met.

Neither looked away.

Gradually, smiles crept into their eyes.

Just then, Jiang Ya hopped over to Jiang Ji, clutching a small willow basket. He tugged at his sleeve and shook it, finally drawing his gaze downward.

Ye Li shifted his eyes too, smiling as he said, “Eat up. Brother Datong asked me to buy twenty-five pounds of twisted dough. This is our family’s pound.”

Such a generous gesture diverted Jiang Ji’s attention.

He washed his hands, took a glutinous rice cake, pulled Jiang Ya down to sit beside him, and then turned his dark eyes back to Ye Li.

Jiang Mai brought over a small stool and sat down next to him.

But Ye Li didn’t look at him. He stuffed a few dry sticks into the stove, closed the door, then lifted her eyes to him and began recounting the feud between Jiang Tong and the Wang family.

Jiang Ji frowned at first.

But soon, his gaze toward Ye Li brimmed with approval.

Of course, there was also a hint of an indescribable restlessness.

Ye Li’s quick-wittedness surprised him.

He liked those who were sharp and had their own opinions.

But now wasn’t the time to ponder such things. After Ye Li finished speaking, his brow furrowed deeply as he said in a low voice, “The Wang family truly acted outrageously. They should compensate Brother Datong.”

“Forty taels is still too little. They wasted Brother Datong’s ten years and caused him so much hardship.”

Ultimately, it was their branch that was both talentless and incompetent.

He held Jiang Ya closer in his arms, a pang of shame stirring within him.

These past three days, his thoughts had drifted restlessly, unconsciously returning to Ye Li…

With the autumn exams approaching in the Prefectural Capital, such thoughts were unwarranted.

“Actually, Brother Datong has picked up some skills. He can handle simple carpentry now. Give him more time to practice, and our family will surely produce a master carpenter.”

Ye Li feared his preoccupation might hinder his studies and quickly added.

“By the way, why did you return now?” Ye Li changed the subject.

At these words, Jiang Ji’s brow furrowed even deeper.

Ye Li’s heart skipped a beat. “What happened?”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s my classmate, Bao Beiyuan. He has something urgent.”

Jiang Ji caught Ye Li’s expression and immediately offered an explanation.

“What’s wrong with Brother Bao?” Jiang Mai, standing nearby, quickly asked.

He knew Bao Beiyuan.

He was the only friend his older brother had at the private school.

Ye Li didn’t know Bao Beiyuan, but seeing the expressions on the brothers’ faces, she knew this person was close to Jiang Ji. She couldn’t help but ask, “What happened to your classmate?”

“His father passed away. His older brother and brother-in-law kicked him out of the house. He can’t afford to study anymore and has no idea what to do next.”

“I was thinking, maybe he could follow your second brother’s example and buy tofu puffs from you to sell in the county town?”

Jiang Ji explained the situation clearly in just a few words.

Ye Li was quite surprised. “That pitiful?”

“Yes. Actually, it was unexpected. His family runs a noodle shop that does pretty well, but his brother and brother-in-law think he’s not cut out for studying and want him to come home and help out.”

“The day I returned last time, he came home from school. His brother brought up the old topic again. His father got very angry and argued with his brother. After the argument, his father went to the back yard. When he stepped out, he tripped over the threshold and hit his head on the corner of a table. He passed away that very night.”

Ye Li: “…”

This is truly tragic.

Jiang Ji couldn’t believe things had escalated so far—a mere argument leading to such a severe outcome.

His mood grew heavy: “Yesterday, I noticed he’d skipped school for three days straight. After class, I went to his house to find him and happened upon his older brother, Bao Beixing, trying to kick him out.”

“To kick out his sixteen-year-old younger brother just after the first week of mourning? That’s heartless.”

Bao Beiyuan was a bit of a troublemaker, but he studied diligently. After school, he’d help out at the noodle shop.

But as Ye Li said, studying was like making money—you couldn’t force it.

Bao Beixing didn’t want Bao Beiyuan wasting money on private tutoring anymore. Fine, if he didn’t want to study, he didn’t have to. With their father gone, the eldest brother had no obligation to fund his younger brother’s education.

But after Bao Beixing drove his own father to his death, he actually kicked Bao Beiyuan out of the house, stripping him of everything!

This truly enraged him.

He warned Bao Beixing: if he insisted on expelling Bao Beiyuan, then Bao Beiyuan would go to the county yamen and accuse him of driving their father to his death—a grave act of filial disobedience!

Bao Beixing and his husband backed down immediately, sitting down with him to discuss dividing the family estate.

But Bao Beixing insisted that over the years, it was he and his wife who had kept the noodle shop running. Bao Beiyuan not only did no work but also spent a fortune annually on his studies.

Moreover, one couldn’t blame his father’s death entirely on him. If Bao Beiyuan had succeeded in his studies, he certainly wouldn’t have quarreled with his father!

The fool Bao Beiyuan actually accepted Bao Beixing’s words. In the end, Bao Beiyuan only received ten taels of silver.

“He moved out of the noodle shop today. He’s staying at the private school for now. Once he rents a place, he’ll move out. The master also agreed to refund part of his tuition.”

“But he’s only sixteen, with no future prospects. That’s why I came back to ask you.”

“I know the daily tofu puffs are limited. I’m just asking—the decision is yours.”

Besides, this matter isn’t particularly urgent.

Because Bao Beiyuan was so deeply depressed, he had no heart for business at all.

But he did come back tonight.

He returned after asking the master for leave.

He… he simply couldn’t sleep on the school’s large heated bed!

After hearing this, Ye Li pondered for a moment, yet no solution immediately came to mind.

Even with someone grinding the soybeans, this matter remained difficult.

The process of making tofu puffs was simply too complex.

He took a deep breath and pointed at the iron pot filled with enticing aromas: “How about… we eat meat first?”

After all, you need energy to think of solutions once you’re full.

“Yes, yes!” Jiang Ya nodded eagerly.

Snuggled in Jiang Ji’s embrace, he’d actually been hungry for a while.

But poor Brother Bao looked so pitiful, so he hadn’t said a word.

Now that Ye Li had spoken up, he couldn’t hold back anymore.

Jiang Ji saw this, ruffled his little head, and said, “Let’s eat first.”

“Xiao Ya, Xiao Mai, come here. Pick whichever piece you want, and I’ll serve it for you.”

Ye Li pointed at the two little ones.

They’d been waiting for this moment. Hearing this, they happily came to the stove.

Jiang Ya was short and had to stand on tiptoes to see the meat in the pot.

Jiang Ji walked over and scooped him up in his arms.

Ye Li brought over a small earthenware bowl, scooped the meat they pointed to into it, then placed it on the table for the two of them to start munching on.

Ye Li also scooped a few pieces for Jiang Ji to eat.

As for himself, he had to ladle out the remaining meat and broth, then scrub the pot and boil water.

Tonight’s meal was rich; hot water must be prepared to quench their thirst.

The leftover water would be perfect for washing up and bathing.

Jiang Ji took the ladle from his hand and gently touched his shoulder: “You eat. I’ll do it.”

“Let me do it. You rarely come back. You should rest more.” Ye Li stood motionless.

“You fried so much today. You’re the one who should be resting.”

Jiang Ji simply grabbed his arm and pulled him down to sit at the dining table.

“Brother Li, rest for a bit. Let Big Brother boil the water.”

Jiang Mai swallowed a mouthful of pork knuckle and spoke up.

Jiang Ya hurriedly set down the marrow bone she was holding, raised his greasy little paw, and called out loudly, “Brother Li, come eat meat!”

Ye Li was amused by his antics and sat down beside the table. He then told Jiang Ji, ” Hurry up with that, and come gnaw on bones once you’re done.”

Jiang Ji hummed in acknowledgment, swiftly scooping meat from the pot into two large earthenware bowls before scrubbing the pot clean and refilling it with water.

Boiling water didn’t require constant tending at the stove. He tossed several large logs into the firebox to keep it burning, then washed his hands and sat down at the dining table.

Ye Li handed him a rib: “Eat this.”

This pot of meat had simmered for over an hour. Both the fatty and lean parts were tender and falling apart.

Jiang Ji took it.

He gripped a long rib, gave it a light bite, and instantly the meat separated from the bone. He pulled the entire strip of meat off.

Seeing this, Ye Li smiled and asked, “Tasty, huh?”

Jiang Ji nodded.

It was indeed full of flavor.

However, when he saw Ye Li get up and take a flatbread from the willow basket on the cutting board, he couldn’t help but say, “Why not eat more meat?”

“I’m eating it with the flatbread.”

Ye Li had already devoured three ribs.

But he wasn’t some ancient man starved for nourishment; he didn’t crave rich flavors.

In his previous life, he’d always eaten such meat with dipping sauces and chilled sweet drinks.

Now, without condiments or sweet drinks, he found it hard to continue eating.

But he couldn’t voice this reason directly, lest Jiang Ji grow suspicious.

“There’s plenty of meat. Eat more.”

Unaware of his situation, Jiang Ji used chopsticks to pick up a piece of pork belly for him, as big as a palm and two fingers wide.

“…Alright.”

He’d just pretend it was preserved vegetable pork belly.

He accepted it, tore open the flatbread, first layering shredded mustard greens inside before placing the pork belly on top.

But after eating only half, he felt overwhelmed.

So thirsty!

He craved ice-cold sweet drinks—any kind, as long as it was chilled and sweet!

But the water in the pot hadn’t boiled yet.

The cold boiled water he’d prepared at noon was already gone.

He glanced at the large pot still steaming, his mind racing through the flavors of Happy Water, ice-cold beer, coconut juice, grapefruit soda…

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and his gaze shifted to Jiang Ji.

He couldn’t do anything about the tofu puffs.

But chilled sweet drinks? That might be doable.

Brew some green tea in a clay pot, add a bit of sugar—that’s healthy, additive-free green tea.

Nitrate can make ice. Place the clay pot of green tea in an ice basin. Not too cold—ancient stomachs couldn’t handle it. Just a slight chill would do.

And just like that, iced green tea was born.

Plus, summer had already arrived. The weather was getting hotter and hotter—perfect timing for selling drinks!