Jiang Ji carried ten buns as he left the village and entered the county town. He turned into a quiet alley with few people and vehicles, striding purposefully until he finally reached the lecture hall just before the bell rang.

He set the small burlap bundle holding the flatbread on the corner of his desk and pulled out the books he needed for the day.

He was already a primary student, but among the dozens of students in the private school, only three had passed the county and prefectural examinations like him.

Six had passed the county examination.

Combined, they didn’t even make ten people.

The three examinations for students all tested the Four Books and Five Classics. Regardless of whether one had passed the three examinations, the daily lessons taught by the masters were the same. Therefore, except for the newly enrolled children, the rest were divided into two classes and studied together.

Jiang Ji glanced at the empty desk beside him and the clean stool. He gathered his focus and opened the book in his hands.

Time always flew when one was absorbed in a task.

At noon, the bell signaling the end of class rang punctually. The elderly teacher, clutching his textbook, shuffled slowly out of the lecture hall.

Jiang Ji closed his book, stretched lazily, then grabbed his small burlap bundle and dashed out of the lecture hall, heading straight for the dormitory in the rear courtyard.

At this hour, those not boarding at the private school returned to their homes.

Those who lived at the private school headed straight for the dining hall.

Thus, only one person remained in the dormitory: Bao Beiyuan.

Bao Beiyuan didn’t have a bed assigned to him at the private school. But since they were all classmates, and he had suddenly faced a great upheaval, the few sharing his dormitory squeezed together, making room for him on the heated bed.

Yesterday evening, when Jiang Ji returned home, he was asleep.

Now Jiang Ji was back.

He was still asleep.

Jiang Ji strode to the kang, set down the small bundle, then began shaking him: “Bao Beiyuan! Beiyuan! Bao Beiyuan!”

Bao Beiyuan stirred groggily as he was shaken awake. He lifted his heavy, parched eyelids and muttered weakly, “Stop shaking me. It’s making me dizzy.”

“I think you’re dizzy from hunger. Stop sleeping. Let’s go to the kitchen to eat.”

Jiang Ji gave him another push before letting go.

“No way. I didn’t hand in my grain quota.” Bao Beiyuan rolled over, turning his back to Jiang Ji.

“I brought meat pies from home. We’ll get two bowls of soup to go with them. No one will say anything. Get up.”

Jiang Ji waved the small package containing the meat-stuffed buns right under his nose.

Though the buns had cooled, Ye Li’s cooking was exceptional. Standing close, Bao Beiyuan could still catch the faint aroma of meat.

The scent immediately awakened his stomach.

He’d nibbled on two vegetable-stuffed buns Jiang Ji snatched from the kitchen yesterday at noon. Since then, he hadn’t touched a drop of water.

Immersed in grief, hunger hadn’t registered.

Now, stirred by this aroma, his stomach growled painfully, the hunger unbearable.

He rolled back over, eyeing the small parcel in Jiang Ji’s hand. “Is it all meat buns?”

“Yep.” Jiang Ji gave the bundle a little shake. “They smell amazing.”

“Did your family slaughter a pig?” Bao Beiyuan was utterly astonished.

What a splurge!

Even when he returned to the private school after the New Year, Jiang Ji had never been this generous.

“You could say that. Get up, let’s go to the kitchen.” Jiang Ji urged him again.

This time, Bao Beiyuan didn’t dawdle.

Now he felt hungry. His stomach, untouched for so long, felt like it was tied in knots. He was so famished he could have devoured an entire cow in one go!

The two closed the door and strode toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was also in the backyard—three connected rooms with tables and benches, decent enough conditions.

Jiang Ji didn’t want any main dishes, just two bowls of corn porridge so clear you could see your reflection in it. The cook serving the food didn’t say anything, readily dishing out two bowls of porridge.

They found a corner spot and sat down.

Jiang Ji placed the small bundle in front of Bao Beiyuan: “Eat.”

Bao Beiyuan didn’t hesitate. He’d always eaten and lived at home before, and since his family ran a noodle shop, he’d often brought Jiang Ji snacks. Now, suddenly, it was Jiang Ji’s turn to provide for him. It was…

He fought back the heat welling in his eyes, grabbed a stuffed flatbread, and took a bite that took off a third of it.

The bun had lost its crispiness from being wrapped up, but it gained a satisfying chewiness. Combined with the rich, flavorful stewed meat, it tasted far better than he’d expected.

It was even better than his father’s stewed meat!

When did Aunt Liang’s cooking become this good?

He glanced at Jiang Ji with curiosity.

At the end of last month, Jiang Ji had returned home a day early. That same day, his father passed away. So when they met again, it was after he’d been kicked out of his own home by his own brother.

Back then, he’d been a walking skeleton, his heart dead and cold. He hadn’t even noticed the changes in his best friend.

After that came negotiations with Bao Beixing, moving to the private school, and then Jiang Ji had claimed he needed to return home on business, though he’d spent most of his time sleeping.

Only now did he finally have the leisure to notice these details.

Chewing on his flatbread, he scanned Jiang Ji several times before exclaiming, “Your complexion and mood seem genuinely good.“

”Did you reconcile with your Fulang?”

His memory of his friend’s newlywed state had remained frozen before the last private school break.

Jiang Ji was holding a bowl of soup, having just studied for half an hour and feeling thirsty.

Hearing this, he lifted his eyelids to glance at Bao Beiyuan. “Slept well last night. And we weren’t fighting before either.”

Bao Beiyuan didn’t buy it. “Bullshit. When you went home mid-last month, you came back all irritable and bottled up. I thought you’d jump at me any second.”

Jiang Ji was speechless. “…You’re overthinking it.”

He slowly set down his bowl, picked up a flatbread, and began eating heartily.

It wasn’t as good as fresh, but it was still delicious.

“I’m not overthinking it,” Bao Beiyuan swallowed a bite and reached for another.

But seeing the generous filling inside, he raised his arm and nudged Jiang Ji. “This meat bun… did your Fulang make it?”

“Is it good?” Jiang Ji countered instead of answering.

“It’s delicious. Congratulations—you married a good Fulang.” Bao Beiyuan said sincerely.

Jiang Ji nodded in acknowledgment.

His Fulang truly was a perfect match.

“And you? Have you thought about your future plans?”

When he returned home yesterday, he’d only mentioned having business to attend to, not uttering a single word about the tofu puffs. He’d feared giving Bao Beiyuan false hope only to dash it later.

“Me…” Bao Beiyuan managed only these two words before feeling a lump in his throat.

He lifted his bowl, sipped the soup a few times, then sniffed lightly, adopting a matter-of-fact tone: “In a couple of days, I’ll go out and find a place to live.”

“You managed when you were thirteen. I’m sixteen now—how could I be any worse than you?”

“Copying books, carrying heavy loads—I can do those too.”

“It’s different,” Jiang Ji frowned. “I have a home in Yezaopo. I don’t need to worry about food or shelter. All I need to do is focus on saving up for my tuition.”

“But now, the moment you step out of the private school, you’ll have to buy even your drinking water.”

“It’s fine.“ Bao Beiyuan forced a smile. ”I’ll sell all those books. Getting twenty or thirty taels of silver won’t be hard.”

He had complete sets of the Four Books and Five Classics, plus numerous related commentaries.

Dozens of brushes, over ten inkstones and ink sticks, plus unused paper.

Truly, he could easily get twenty or thirty taels of silver.

Thinking of the silver soon to be in his hands, he chuckled, “I have money. More than you. If you haven’t saved enough for your journey, I’ll lend you some.”

“And you call me foolish? Where am I foolish? These things cost nearly a hundred taels of silver when I bought them. All these years, I’ve only spent silver.”

Jiang Ji watched the tears welling in his eyes and sighed, “Didn’t your brother spend silver? When he got married, the betrothal silver alone cost thirty taels.”

“He kept complaining about working so much these past years, but after your mother passed, your father passed down his noodle-making skills to him. How could he learn without working? How could he run the noodle shop without plenty of practice?”

“That courtyard of yours, plus the shop out front—together they could fetch several hundred taels. All that was earned by your parents back then.”

“And you? Ten taels is all you get.”

The Bao family originally hailed from elsewhere. When Bao’s parents came to Beiyang County to make their fortune, they started by setting up a noodle stall. After saving some silver, they sold their fields back home and bought a small shop in Beiyang.

Thanks to their skilled craftsmanship, they upgraded to a larger property with a shopfront and courtyard within a few years.

The year after acquiring the current courtyard, Mrs. Bao passed away due to illness.

Unable to meet customer demand alone, Mr. Bao passed his trade down to Bao Beixing.

Therefore, no matter how you look at it, the Bao family’s assets should be divided equally between Bao Beixing and Bao Beiyuan.

This is the foundation their parents built!

However, seeing tears streaming down Bao Beiyuan’s face, Jiang Ji couldn’t bring himself to continue.

But thinking of the future, he paused for a moment before saying, “How about we go back to the noodle shop and reclaim your share?“

Upon hearing this, Bao Beiyuan immediately lifted his sleeve to wipe his tears, choking out, ”No, no… It’s my fault. If only I’d studied harder, if only I hadn’t been so reckless…”

He raised his sleeve again, roughly wiping away tears that flowed like a burst dam.

It was too late for words now.

He had made his father’s life difficult, sparking one argument after another.

He wouldn’t go back. He had no face to return.

“Enough, enough. Stop crying. Eat up. It’s all in the past. If Uncle Bao were watching from above, he wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

Jiang Ji had no choice but to stop.

Ah, the young master knows nothing of the world’s hardships.

What a headache.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

At Yezaopo.

Ye Li, Jiang Mai, Jiang Ya, and Ye Liang had already finished lunch.

The two little ones had eaten until their bellies were round and full. Unable to move much in this state, they returned to the house for an afternoon nap. Later that afternoon, they still had to go gather dry firewood.

Ye Li rolled up his sleeves, preparing to fry tofu puffs.

Ye Liang didn’t tend the fire for him. Instead, he picked up a water bucket and went out to the fields to water the corn.

After summer began, the weather grew hot. If the heavens didn’t send rain, farmers had to water their fields every few days.

With the wheat harvest approaching, the fields demanded constant attention.

Ye Daji and Ye Wen were too busy to help, leaving this task to him.

For this reason, he had already prepared today’s fare back to the village: three wen.

Truthfully, he was reluctant to part with this money.

But Yi-ger pitied him, pouting insistently that he spend it, even threatening that if he worked himself sick, the medicine would cost over a hundred wen!

He had no choice but to agree.

Still, autumn would bring relief.

The young ger from the family Ye Wen had been matched with last time had agreed, and these past few days, the two families had been discussing the wedding date.

Since Ye Wen was older, the sooner the wedding, the better.

Once Ye Wen was married, he’d free up manpower to come help with the work.

After watering the entire acre, he carried the bucket back to the Jiang household.

Ye Li had already fried the tofu puffs, large skewers, and glutinous rice balls, filling two baskets.

He had no time to rest. After gulping down a bowl of cool boiled water, he shouldered one basket and carried the other, hurrying toward the county town.

The next day, after selling half the tofu puffs, he tucked away the copper coins Ye Li had given him yesterday and headed into town to buy supplies.

Ye Li had instructed him to buy half a catty of red tea.

He couldn’t tell the difference between the varieties, only that the green ones were green tea and the red ones were red tea.

Ye Li had told him to just look for the red ones.

But this stuff was expensive!

Even the average quality cost over a hundred wen for half a catty.

Ye Li also asked him to buy some arrowroot powder. Sweet potato arrowroot was the cheapest, at thirteen wen per catty.

He bought a full catty.

Besides arrowroot, he also got glutinous rice, malt sugar, and wood ear mushrooms.

Glutinous rice costs three wen more than regular rice, at ten wen per pound.

Maltose was even pricier, forty wen per pound.

Dried wood ear mushrooms weren’t cheap either, costing twenty wen per pound.

By the time he filled his basket, his two hundred wen were gone.

Carrying these goods and tucking two steamed buns into his pocket to eat as he walked, he didn’t return to the village. Instead, he headed straight for Yezaopo.

By the time he reached the Jiang household, Ye Li had already prepared lunch.

Using the broth from the meat stewed two days prior, Ye Li had made a large pot of stewed vegetables.

Besides meat, it contained tofu, green beans, and tender young shepherd’s purse.

This hodgepodge stew might not look appealing, but its flavor was truly unmatched.

When Ye Li mentioned wanting to add sweet potato noodles to the stew, he quickly waved his off.

Sweet potato noodles were as expensive as sugar, costing dozens of wen per pound!

What family could afford to treat such a thing as a staple?

Besides, with meat already in the stew, who needs sweet potato noodles?

He devoured three large bowls of stew alongside Ye Li’s corn and bean curd cake, then grabbed his water bucket and headed back to the fields.

Yesterday he’d only watered one mu of land; the remaining mu still needed tending.

Ye Li stayed home, busy frying tofu puffs, large skewers, and fried dough sticks.

After a flurry of activity, once Ye Liang was sent off, he didn’t rest. He ladled the soybean oil out of the pot and added two jin of washed, dried soybeans.

He planned to roast the soybeans to make soybean flour.

Beiyang County had many beverage vendors. To survive in this trade, besides offering affordable, high-volume products, one needed a signature item.

His chosen signature item was a certain brand’s soy milk rice mochi.

He chose this for two reasons: first, it was fancy and hard for others to replicate.

Second, the ingredients were easy to find.

Beans: soybean flour, made by roasting soybeans and grinding them into powder.

For the milk, goat’s milk would suffice.

Goat’s milk was not only more readily available than cow’s milk but also cheaper.

Since gers couldn’t breastfeed, every household with a fulang kept goats.

Goat’s milk wasn’t just sold in the county town.

Fresh goat’s milk could also be bought in the villages.

Consequently, the price of goat’s milk naturally couldn’t rise.

Moreover, perhaps because of this, locals readily accept goat’s milk without finding its distinct odor unpleasant.

Even if one does find it off-putting, jasmine tea effectively neutralizes the gaminess.

Simply add a pinch of jasmine tea leaves during cooking.

Glutinous rice is readily available in town at reasonable prices.

As for red glutinous rice, it’s not a local food here, which conveniently saves on costs.

For the mochi, arrowroot starch—that is, sweet potato starch—can be used instead.

As for the tea broth, any kind of black tea will do.

Thus, the ingredients for soy milk rice mochi are easily found. Process these items, and a cup of soy milk rice mochi is ready.

However, without the milk foam topping, the texture won’t be as rich as the authentic version.

But that’s fine—this simplified version of soy milk rice mochi is perfectly suited to ancient tastes.

Recalling the flavor from his memories, Ye Li felt no fatigue. After roasting the soybeans, she carried them straight to the mill to grind them into powder.

He poured the soybean flour into a clay jar, rinsed the glutinous rice, and prepared to grind it into flour the next day.

Mixing glutinous rice flour with sweet potato starch in a specific ratio, then boiling it with goat’s milk, yields the finished rice mochi.

After breakfast the next day, Ye Li finished making tofu and first went to Jiang Fuzheng’s house to buy two jin of goat’s milk.

Jiang Fuzheng’s household currently had no children to drink the milk, but with their many goats, they rarely ran short of goat’s milk throughout the year.

After bringing the goat’s milk home, Ye Li carried the glutinous rice—washed and dried the previous day—to the mill. It took considerable time, but he ground it into fine, smooth glutinous rice flour.

Now he could make the glutinous rice cakes.

Glutinous rice cakes stick easily to the pot, so they must be cooked slowly over low heat.

He brought out the iron stove and used the clay pot to boil water for brewing black tea.

So when Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya returned carrying grass, they found him leisurely seated under the jujube tree by the door. One hand held a clay bowl, the other a spoon, as he sipped something with obvious enjoyment.

Jiang Ya had been busy outside for a while and was already thirsty.

Spotting him, he quickened his pace, calling out, “Brother Li! Brother Li!”

His short legs moved swiftly, jostling the grass in his basket until it spilled out. Jiang Mai called after him, “Ya-ger, slow down! You’re dropping the grass!”

Hearing this, Jiang Ya’s little legs slowed down.

But his big eyes remained fixed on the bowl in Ye Li’s hand. Brother Li wasn’t drinking water—it was white, like goat’s milk!

He loved that!

Just then, Ye Li swallowed the last bite of his bean milk rice cake. He looked at Jiang Ya running over and smiled, “Don’t worry, I saved some for you and Xiao Mai. Watch your step.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ya’s already chubby little face broke into a huge grin. “Thanks, Brother Li!”

“I’ll serve it for you both. Come over after washing your hands.”

Ye Li said this and returned to the courtyard first.

Entering the kitchen, he took out two earthenware bowls. He poured some black tea broth from the clay pot and mixed it with the boiled goat’s milk.

Then he picked up a spoon and scooped a large ladleful of rice mochi.

When Jiang Ya entered the kitchen, he caught him scooping the sticky, glutinous rice paste into the bowls.

This little one had never even tasted glutinous rice, let alone this sticky, white rice paste. His big eyes lit up, and his small body dashed straight toward the stove.

Arriving at the stove, he stared intently at the rice mochi for a few moments.

Unfamiliar, but so tempting.

Swallowing hard, he turned his little head toward Ye Li: “Brother, what is this?”

“This is called rice mochi. It tastes pretty good. Here, this bowl is yours.”

Ye Li handed him the bowl of soy milk rice mochi. As he reached out his little paw to take it, Ye Li sprinkled a layer of soybean powder over the top with a spoon.

Without the milk cap to anchor it, the soybean powder instantly absorbed moisture upon hitting the bowl, deepening in color.

Yet mixed with the white soy milk, its hue remained undeniably tempting.

Jiang Ya couldn’t help but swallow again before carrying the bowl to the dining table.

Ye Li then handed him a spoon, instructing him to stir before drinking.

He obediently picked up the spoon and stirred.

The spoon met resistance against the rice mochi, making it hard to stir. He gave it a firm scoop, filling it to the brim with the sticky rice treat.

Already craving it, he eagerly shoved the spoon into his little mouth.

Ye Li had added sugar while cooking the rice mochi. Sweet, soft, and sticky, its unique, delicate texture made his eyes widen instantly. His little head whipped around to look at Ye Li: “Brother Li, it’s delicious!”

So delicious!

Ye Li was preparing the second bowl when he heard this and glanced over. Seeing the little boy’s surprised and delighted expression, he couldn’t help but smile. “How delicious? If you had to pay for it, would you buy it?”

“No way!”

Jiang Ya shook his little head, answering with absolute certainty, not a hint of hesitation.

Ye Li paused. “…But you think it’s delicious, right?“

”I’m saving my money for Big Brother’s travel expenses,“ Jiang Ya declared earnestly.

”…I see.”

Though Ye Li paid the two little ones’ wages daily, he never inquired about how they spent it.

Besides, when he and Jiang Ji discussed tuition fees, neither child was present.

They still didn’t know he would be funding their eldest brother’s education from now on.

Still, he hadn’t expected this little glutton, for the sake of his cheap husband, to refuse such delicious food so decisively.

It was truly endearing.

Just then, Jiang Mai washed his hands and entered the kitchen. Ye Li said, “Xiao Mai, come taste this bowl of milk tea. See if you like it.”

Jiang Mai responded with a nod, walked to the stove, took the bowl, said “Thanks, Brother Li,” then sat down beside Jiang Ya.

“Second Brother, try this! It’s called rice mochi—so delicious!”

Jiang Ya held up the spoon like a treasure, eager for Jiang Mai to see the rice mochi.

Ye Li took a spoon from the chopstick holder and handed it to Jiang Mai, explaining, “I just made this. Try it. I plan to take it to the county town to sell. Do you think it’ll sell?”

Hearing this, Jiang Mai first took a sip of the milk tea from his bowl.

He was thirsty.

The milk tea was only moderately sweet, but to Jiang Mai, the sweetness was quite pronounced.

Beyond the sweetness, there was the rich aroma of goat’s milk and the slight astringency of the tea leaves.

Usually, children disliked that astringency from tea leaves, but now, mixed with the sweetness and goat’s milk, it certainly couldn’t be called unpleasant.

He couldn’t resist taking another sip, then another, completely forgetting to taste the rice mochi.

Seeing this, Jiang Ya couldn’t help but pick up his bowl and take a sip of milk tea too.

His experience was much the same as Jiang Mai’s.

Smacking his little lips, he took another sip, then another.

Soon, half the bowl was gone, and a white mustache had formed around his lips.

He smacked his little lips again. Mm, he’d finally tasted the flavor.

He turned his little head toward Ye Li: “Brother Li, it’s delicious! We can definitely sell this!”

Just then, Jiang Mai spoke up: “Yeah, we can sell it.”

He had already tasted the rice mochi.

The rice mochi was undeniably delicious.

As for the milk tea, it had a slightly odd taste, but it was addictive.

He looked at Ye Li: “Brother Li, rich people will definitely buy it.”

Seeing this, Ye Li felt relieved.

If these two little guys liked it on their first try, then the wealthy folks who were used to drinking milk tea would almost certainly like it too.

Replication successful!

Now it was just a matter of waiting for Jiang Ji to return.

Not long now—just the day after tomorrow.

Ten days was a long time, but if you split it into two five-day stretches, the agony of waiting would feel much less intense.

The last two times Jiang Ji had returned unexpectedly, rushing in and out so quickly, he hadn’t had time to prepare anything.

This time, though…

There really wasn’t much to prepare anyway.

With no money in hand, he couldn’t pull off any fancy gestures.

Maybe have Ye Liang buy a few pounds of pork belly in town the day after tomorrow? Could he braise it and steam some rice?

The thought crossed his mind, and imagining the rich, sticky aroma of braised pork, he instantly made up his mind.

That’s settled!

Though he was from the north, he’d been craving rice for ages. Eating flatbreads and buns every day? Time for a change!

As for the soy milk rice mochi—that was a must-have too.

Today’s ingredients were sufficient. He’d just buy some goat’s milk the day after tomorrow or the day after that.

With his mind made up, he brought it up with Ye Liang when he arrived the next day.

“Four pounds of pork belly?”

Ye Liang frowned. “Why buy so much meat again?”

Pork belly was second only to lard in price. Good heavens, four pounds would cost seventy or eighty wen.

“Jiang Ji is coming back, and I plan to stew some meat. Brother, besides the pork belly, buy five pounds of rice too,” Ye Li added.

One pound of rice costs seven wen.

Five pounds meant thirty-five wen.

Ye Liang winced at the expense.

A hundred wen spent on just one trip home!

Earlier, Ye Li’s quarrel with Jiang Ji had given him a headache.

Now, seeing Ye Li so infatuated with Jiang Ji, it made his wallet ache.

Still, he’d been feasting and drinking quite a bit these days, making up for lost time.

Ye Wen’s wedding date was set—right after the wheat harvest.

Knowing the Ye family’s modest means, the ger hadn’t made exorbitant demands. He’d only asked for five taels of betrothal silver, a pair of silver bracelets, and four sets of new clothes. That would suffice.

For an ordinary family, this dowry was quite standard. But for his household, it was a heavy burden. After all, he’d only been selling tofu puffs for less than a month.

The silver he and Yi-ger had saved these past days would have to be spent entirely to cover the emergency.

Well, never mind saving this little bit.

As the eldest brother, it wasn’t right to keep freeloading.

Tomorrow, he’d go to the docks and buy a fish to bring over.

Ye Li didn’t know Ye Liang planned to buy fish, but judging by Ye Liang’s expression, he could guess what Ye Liang was thinking.

He pretended not to see.

If Bao Beiyuan’s milk tea business took off, he’d definitely get a share of the profits.

In a few days, he’d approach Jiang Tong to start a wind chime business—and he’d demand his cut from that too.

With all this, he might just earn three hundred wen daily.

So, eat when you should eat. Drink when you should drink.

Never shortchange your own mouth, no matter what.

But Ye Li applied this principle only to himself, never demanding it of others.

Thus, when Ye Liang arrived carrying a grass carp weighing over two catties, he immediately asked, “Brother, what are you buying this for?”

“After eating yours every day, it’s about time I bought some meat,” Ye Liang said, pulling out four catties of pork belly from his basket.

The pork belly was layered with alternating strips of fat and lean meat, six layers including the skin—absolutely gorgeous.

Today, he’d rushed straight to the butcher’s upon arriving in town. His quick pace made him the first customer, securing him this prime cut of pork belly.

Ye Li was also thoroughly pleased with these pounds of pork belly.

But after receiving the meat, he admonished Ye Liang: “Brother, we’re blood brothers. You shouldn’t speak like that. Besides, you’ve been helping out with the work.“

”Wait until we’ve built up our savings before buying things like this. Right now, every penny counts. Don’t waste money.“

These words soothed Ye Liang’s heart, but he replied aloud, ”Fish is cheap, nothing like pork. It didn’t cost much.”

“After we finish eating, go borrow Second Uncle’s iron pot. I’ll braise the pork on the stove first. When you head back, bring a bowl for Father and Yi-ger to try too.” Ye Li said.

“No need, no need. You two eat.” Ye Liang waved his hand.

“It’s settled then. Hurry up and eat.” Ye Li smiled, urging him to wash his hands.

Though they had clay pots at home, they might crack when exposed to fire.

If that happened, even he would feel heartbroken.

So, borrowing the iron pot from Jiang Dahu’s house was the better choice.

After the meal, seeing Ye Liang reluctant to go, he sent Jiang Mai on an errand.

When Jiang Dahu delivered the iron pot, the two little ones, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, grabbed their hemp ropes and reluctantly headed out to gather firewood.

Truthfully, they both wanted to stay by the stove and watch Ye Li prepare the meat. But clearly, today’s wood consumption would be substantial, so they had no choice but to go out.

With the two little ones gone, Ye Li began making braised pork.

He preferred a sweet flavor. After blanching the pork chunks, he rendered their fat, then added cane sugar to caramelize it.

Ye Liang inhaled the enticing aroma and watched his brother’s practiced movements. “Brother Li,” he asked, “where did you learn this method?”

“It’s a secret, big brother. I only tell Jiang Ji.”

Ye Li deliberately wore a mysterious expression.

Upon hearing this, Ye Liang said, “Fine, tell only Xiao Ji.”

Now, his third brother and Xiao Ji were truly family.

It was good. This was precisely the scene he had hoped for.

Heaven knew how much he’d worried these past two years, watching his younger brother’s character grow increasingly wayward.

The Ye family had already wronged Xiao Ji. If they let him marry a disaster, it would truly be…

Thankfully, Brother Li had changed his ways!

Heaven had eyes!

Ye Liang chuckled and shut up.

Ye Li breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned his attention back to the meat simmering in the pot.

Braised pork actually didn’t require many seasonings—just some scallions, soy sauce, cinnamon bark, bay leaves, and star anise, then simmered over high heat.

Once the pork was simmering, he returned to the kitchen to fry tofu puffs, large skewers, and fried dough sticks.

As for the fish, he had Ye Liang tend the fire while he cleaned it out, preparing to fry it alongside the rest.

By the time everything was fried, the braised pork was ready.

Its glossy red sheen filled the entire courtyard with its aroma.

Ye Li served Ye Liang a piece. After just one bite, Ye Liang immediately said to Ye Li, “Get me a corn bread. I’ll eat it with that.”

Such delicious food couldn’t be eaten plain.

It smelled so good, he wished he could have three cakes to go with this one piece!

Ye Li was both amused and exasperated, but he really did give him a corn and bean cake.

He finished the piece of braised pork with the cake, then had Ye Li put nine more pieces into his bowl.

There were five people in his family; two pieces each would suffice.

He’d already eaten one piece; one more at dinner would suffice.

Though this pot of braised pork seemed plentiful, there was still Jiang Dahu’s family to consider!

Soon, he walked away contentedly, carrying his bamboo basket.

Ye Li began steaming rice.

My dear husband will be back soon!

Humming a tune, he rinsed two pounds of rice.

First, he parboiled the rice. Once the water boiled, he scooped it out with a strainer into an earthenware basin, then placed the basin on a steamer rack.

This method yielded both steamed rice and rice broth—perfect!

Before long, the two little ones returned.

Each dragged back a huge bundle of dry firewood. Jiang Mai’s bundle, in particular, was nearly as tall as he was.

Impressed by their diligence, Ye Li immediately scooped two pieces of braised pork from the pot to reward them.

Tasting such tender, sweet meat for the first time, they were overjoyed. Jiang Ya bounced around Ye Li, shouting repeatedly, “Brother Li is awesome!”

But Ye Li had seen through his “true nature.” Once his husband returned, the little rascal would surely forget all about him.

While playing with Jiang Ya, Jiang Dahu arrived.

Ye Li scooped out most of the braised pork from the pot, leaving only a dozen or so pieces, then had Jiang Dahu take the pot back.

He didn’t wash the pot. With so much sauce left inside, instead of scrubbing it clean, he’d rather use some flatbread to wipe it out and eat it.

Night fell.

Dinner was ready.

But no one said, “Let’s eat.” Even Jiang Ya divided his attention, glancing repeatedly toward the courtyard gate.

The night breeze carried a hint of coolness.

The moon had risen.

Ye Li approached the small shed. At noon, he’d placed two buckets and a basin of water here to dry.

He touched the water—it was scalding.

He went back inside to fetch a basin, intending to wash his hair first.

Ahem.

Whether he was doing it or not, he had to look presentable when meeting someone.

With a hint of excitement, he quickly washed his hair.

After finishing, he stood in the courtyard, slowly drying his hair while keeping an eye on the gate.

The gate stood wide open.

Just as his excitement began to turn to anxiety, the long-awaited figure finally appeared at the courtyard entrance.

Before he could say anything, Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai, sitting by the kitchen door, sprang up like little cannonballs and dashed toward the gate: “Brother! Big Brother!”

Their joyful shouts carried far through the night, startling the rooster in the backyard into crowing a few times.

The quiet courtyard instantly came alive.

Ye Li stood rooted to the spot.

He watched Jiang Ji lead the two little ones toward him, stopping right before him.

The faint glow from the kitchen lamp spilled into the yard, dim and hazy, yet it was enough to make out the familiar face before him.

This person was smiling.

His slightly narrowed eyes curved upward in a gentle arc.

His pupils shone brightly, as if stars were twinkling within them.

He couldn’t help but smile, too.

Anxiety dissolved into excitement.

Hey.

You’re back.

Jiang Mai’s little head turned left and right, taking in the sight of his big brother and brother-in-law smiling at each other. Suddenly, he remembered the scene before his big brother had left last time.

Back then, his big brother and his husband had actually gone into the east room together!

He shook his big brother’s hand: “Brother, why don’t you sleep with Brother Li tonight?”

The sudden question immediately snapped the two men out of their shared smile.

Ye Li’s eyes widened.

Jiang Ji was also taken aback: “Me sleep in the west room?”

Why this sudden suggestion?

Could it be that last time he came home, Xiao Mai woke up in the middle of the night and found him gone?

“Once married, you naturally sleep together.”

Unaware of his elder brother’s unease, Jiang Mai nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Though young, he understood that husbands slept together—his second uncle and aunt shared a room.

“You… aren’t you and Ya-get afraid?” Stammering nervously, Jiang Ji stuttered.

The question itself seemed rather silly.

After all, he was rarely home.

But Jiang Mai didn’t laugh at him. He answered earnestly: “Not afraid. When you weren’t home, Ya-ger and I always slept together. How could we be afraid of sleeping together?”

Jiang Ya chimed in, “Big Brother, I’m not scared either. I fall asleep the moment I get on the kang.”

Jiang Ji: “…”

He pressed his lips together and looked at Ye Li.

Jiang Mai also looked at Ye Li, asking nervously, “Brother Li, would you be willing?”

Even though Brother Li and Big Brother weren’t fighting anymore, it was Brother Li who had kicked Big Brother out before!

Ye Li smiled warmly and said, “Xiao Mai, as long as you and Ya-ger aren’t afraid, then let your big brother move back in.”

He was bound to move back sooner or later.

Jiang Mai brought it up now made it official, avoiding any need for sneaking around.

“Great!”

Getting the answer he wanted, the usually steady Jiang Mai bounced up like Jiang Ya, something rare for him: “Then let’s move after dinner! First, let’s eat. Big Brother, Brother Li made braised pork belly—it’s so delicious!”

“Right, right! Braised pork—it smells amazing!”

At the mention of meat, Jiang Ya perked up, tugging Jiang Ji’s hand toward the kitchen.

“Let’s eat! I’m starving!”

Ye Li called out, too.

He’d been busy all day—time to show his husband the results!

The soy milk rice mochi could wait—he’d make it tomorrow morning.

Tonight was all about meat!

The rich, sticky braised pork paired perfectly with steaming rice.

As a northerner, Ye Li loved noodles, but he had to admit this dish could rival his favorite comfort food.

As for the Jiang brothers, tasting it for the first time, they were so entranced they couldn’t even speak, just buried their heads in their bowls.

They actually polished off two pounds of steamed rice between the four of them.

The two little ones were stuffed again.

For the first time, the two of them didn’t rush to wash up and go to bed. Instead, they strolled around the courtyard to help their food digest.

But Ye Li, tired after a long day of work, took a shower and went straight to bed.

Lying on the kang, he could hear Jiang Ji talking with the two little ones.

The three brothers shared their experiences from the past few days.

The two little ones focused their descriptions on the soy milk rice mochi.

Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya were deeply impressed by this drink. While Jiang Ji showered in the small shed, the two stood outside chattering nonstop.

Finally, the three brothers returned to the house together.

Jiang Ji waited until the two boys were asleep. Wiping his damp hair, he pushed open the door to the west room.

This time, Ye Li was lying down, legs crossed. Seeing him enter, she sat up, a hint of smugness in his voice. “Well? Want to try some soy milk rice mochi?”

Jiang Ji casually slid the bolt into place and shook his head. “No.”

“No?” Ye Li was surprised. “This is the money-making scheme I came up with for your classmate! You don’t even want to know?”

Was he that plastic?

Hearing the doubt in his voice, Jiang Ji felt a bit helpless.

Wasn’t he usually sharp as a tack?

Glancing at the loose collar of his shirt, Jiang Ji recalled the little picture book he’d seen earlier. He reached out and tapped that spot. “I’ll try here first.”

Ye Li: “…”

Tsk.

But honestly, that one sentence made him feel completely at ease.

He smiled, wrapping his arms around Jiang Ji’s neck. First, he leaned in and kissed the corner of Jiang Ji’s mouth. Then, lowering his voice, he murmured, “My dear husband, besides this spot, you can also try other places, you know.”