Ye Li hadn’t expected Jiang Ji to blurt out those words.

He paused slightly, then gave Jiang Ji a deep look. While pulling chopsticks from his bamboo basket, he said, “Then keep it up. You’ve got twenty wen left. Four wen a day—spend them all, and you can go home.”

“When you come home next time, I’ll give you a reward.”

A reward?

Jiang Ji was curious. “What kind of reward?”

Ye Li gripped the chopsticks and said with utmost seriousness, “Practice your vocal skills diligently.”

Jiang Ji: “…”

Memories of that night’s abandon flashed through his mind.

Back then, though Ye Li had insisted they progress together, a night of passion was worth a thousand pieces of gold. His focus was entirely on their physical union, so he’d let Ye Li taste only a few sips before eagerly getting down to business.

He hadn’t paid much attention to the sensations then; the strongest impression was heat.

Not only was he hot, but Ye Li’s mouth was hot too, his skin flushed pink, his cheeks crimson…

His deep gaze swept over Ye Li’s lips before he lowered his head to adjust the hem of his robe.

He shifted the small clay jar in his hand to rest against his lower abdomen.

This action was clearly a case of “denying the obvious,” and Ye Li instantly found it amusing.

Teasing him?

Hmph, let’s see who’s the one suffering!

Yet, gazing upon the extraordinary face before him, he felt both joy and contentment.

Their last parting had been too rushed, leaving only time for a brief touch of lips.

Though Bao Beiyuan had relayed messages these past days, nothing compared to seeing the real person.

That was why he had come today.

Judging by Jiang Ji’s expression, he must have been thinking of him often these past days.

His heart swelled with joy, and he was about to tease Jiang Ji a little more when Jiang Ji beat him to it, smoothly changing the subject: “You came over now, but what about the tofu puffs?”

Ye Li heard this and immediately dropped his plans. “I’ll have my brother fry them himself. The key is the soy milk anyway—anyone can fry the puffs.”

“I’m still a bit slow. I should have let my brother fry them himself long ago.”

This chore truly felt like a dog leash, tethering him in the morning to make tofu.

And in the afternoon, to fry the puffs.

It made even a trip to the county seat feel rushed and frantic.

But these past two days, he’d missed his dear husband so much that he’d planned a trip into town, leaving Ye Liang to fry the puffs alone.

If Ye Liang managed it flawlessly when he returned that afternoon, he’d simply let Ye Liang handle all the frying from now on.

Or better yet, have Ye Liang come in the mornings to carry the tofu back to the Ye household for frying there.

That way, not only would he have it easier, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya wouldn’t have to go out gathering firewood every single day, either.

They were at an age when they should be playing, yet the two little ones worked as diligently as he did—cutting grass in the morning and gathering firewood in the afternoon, busier than little bees.

However, this would mean his daily earnings would shrink.

With Ye Liang and Liu Yi providing the labor, he couldn’t continue selling the tofu to them at the current price.

Never mind.

He’d wait until the milk tea and preserved eggs were up and running smoothly.

Once the profits from those two items could cover the loss from the tofu puffs, he’d finally shake off this leash.

Thoughts swirled through his mind, but Ye Li didn’t utter a word. He handed the chopsticks to Jiang Ji: “Eat up. After we finish, I’ll go to the pottery shop to buy a jar.”

Jiang Ji hummed in acknowledgment, his slender fingers taking the chopsticks.

With nothing else left in the basket, Ye Li flipped it upside down on the ground. “How about… putting the clay jar in the basket?”

“No need.” Jiang Ji shook his head without hesitation.

The warmth lingered in his lower abdomen.

Summer clothing was thin.

It was quite obvious.

Ye Li chuckled but refrained from teasing his eighteen-year-old husband any further, simply urging, “Eat quickly.”

He’d rushed to prepare breakfast despite the sweltering heat and long journey, primarily to ensure Jiang Ji had a proper meal.

College entrance exam candidates surviving on just two eggs a day for nutrition—how could that possibly suffice?

Jiang Ji nodded and bent to open the clay pot.

The jar was open-mouthed, its palm-sized rim obscured by braised pork, hiding the rice completely.

He couldn’t help asking, “Did you eat with Xiao Mai and Ya-ger?”

“Don’t worry. I’d never let my mouth go without. Xiao Mai and Ya-ger had their share, too.”

“This time when I stewed the meat, I added a few eggs, tofu, and amaranth greens. They both ate huge bowls with their flatbreads.”

Meat was too expensive, so he’d added some other ingredients.

Surprisingly, it tasted quite good.

“But they wanted to bring you food too. I didn’t let them.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “That’s only right. You’re here on important business. We don’t have a donkey cart at home, and their little legs couldn’t walk this far.”

He spoke as he picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth.

The texture was the same as last time—sweet, fragrant, and glutinous, yet not greasy at all.

“Delicious.” Jiang Ji looked at Ye Li, his expression earnest. “You’ve worked hard.”

That simple acknowledgment made Ye Li’s face light up with a smile. He gestured to the spot beside him. “Move over a bit. Don’t let the sun beat down on you.”

It was midday, and the sun was scorching.

Fortunately, a large jujube tree stood within the private school grounds. Some of its branches stretched over the high wall, casting a patch of shade beneath it.

Jiang Ji obediently shifted closer to Ye Li upon hearing this.

He held the clay pot in one hand, eating heartily, while Ye Li began recounting matters at home.

The days grew hotter by the day, and grinding grain was grueling work.

He planned to build a shelter by the well, open on all sides.

First, to shield the well from rain and wind, making water collection easier.

Second, to move the millstone outside, offering some relief from the heat while grinding.

Jiang Ji nodded. “Good. Ask Second Uncle and Datong to help cut down a few trees from the mountain. We can have it built in a day.”

“That’s exactly what I had in mind,” Ye Li nodded.

It would only require some wood and leaves—a simple matter.

“Also, I plan to teach Xiao Liu and Datong how to make preserved eggs.”

Ye Li added.

With the county town and nearby villages as markets, even if the entire village made preserved eggs, there would be no trouble selling them.

Such a vast market—leaving it untapped would be a waste. Better to let our own people earn some money.

Jiang Ji paused mid-chew upon hearing this, then lifted his gaze to meet Ye Li’s. His handsome face wore earnestness. “Thank you.”

“No need for thanks. They’ll thank me.”

“Honestly, it’s no big deal. You won’t get rich off this.”

Pickled eggs could only be a side business.

For instance, this batch of five hundred pickled eggs he was making—the small ones sold for just a few li per piece.

The large ones, however, fetched one wen each.

Even if all five hundred were large ones, he’d only make five hundred wen.

But in reality, he wouldn’t even make five hundred wen. The eggs villagers sold him varied in size—no two were uniform.

So, to make serious money from this, he’d have to scale up.

Produce thousands, even tens of thousands.

But given ancient conditions, even with Beiyang County nearby, sourcing tens of thousands of eggs wouldn’t be easy.

Moreover, he genuinely had no spare time lately.

Every morning, he had to prepare milk tea for Bao Beiyuan. Today’s braised pork used meat purchased yesterday from Tuo Ye Liang. After finishing the tofu in the morning, he worked nonstop, immediately moving on to the milk tea.

Once the milk tea was ready, he hurried to cook the meat and steam the rice.

Only then could he deliver the braised pork by noon.

These days, he truly had no time to increase production.

Once Bao Beiyuan found a suitable courtyard to move the private school out of and learned how to make milk tea, things would ease up. Then he could buy more eggs and make more preserved eggs.

Fortunately, making preserved eggs wasn’t labor-intensive. Though hundreds seemed like a lot, he could actually finish them all in a single afternoon.

Ye Li made it sound trivial, but Jiang Ji certainly didn’t consider it a small change.

Was a few hundred wen small change?

Back then, he’d work himself to the bone for two months straight and still not earn that much.

Take Jiang Liu, for instance. She diligently turned the millstone every day and only made three hundred wen a month.

Even so, that kind of work was the only one of its kind in the village.

Now he could easily earn nearly five hundred wen. That was a huge deal, a really good thing.

He shoveled rice into his mouth, yet his gaze remained fixed on Ye Li.

The person before him was the polar opposite of the Ye Li he once knew.

It felt like a dream.

“Why are you staring at me?” Ye Li asked, puzzled, his clear, black-and-white eyes meeting his.

Jiang Ji replied, “I have doubts.”

Ye Li pressed, “What doubts?”

Jiang Ji pointed at the blazing sun overhead. “Why isn’t it night now?”

“?”

Ye Li tilted his head. “Speak plainly.”

“This way, we could have eloped back to the village last night. You wouldn’t have had to practice your voice so hard. No need to practice—it’s good enough.”

Jiang Ji said with sincere earnestness.

“…Nice try. Just focus on your studies, stop obsessing over this nonsense.”

Ye Li’s words were sharp.

But inside, his heart was sweet as honey.

His beloved husband must adore him deeply.

Jiang Ji saw through his insincere words, making the agony even more unbearable.

To prevent his lower abdomen from bulging again, Jiang Ji had no choice but to shift his focus to the delicious food before him.

His mouth was satisfied.

But his mind was not.

He now had only one thought: to kiss Ye Li until he clung to his neck, moaning softly.

Unfortunately, the timing was wrong. Nor was this the place for such things.

A clay pot of braised pork rice vanished swiftly amid Jiang Ji’s regrets.

It was time for Ye Li to depart.

Jiang Ji placed the small clay pot back into the bamboo basket, then lifted the basket to help Ye Li shoulder it.

They came to a stop beneath the shade of the trees.

Their eyes met, and silence hung between them.

Beneath that silence lay reluctance.

But this was the entrance to the private academy.

Not far away sat the academy’s gatekeeper. So Ye Li lifted a smile: “If you need anything, have Bao Beiyuan pass the message.”

“You too.” Jiang Ji’s dark eyes fixed intently on Ye Li’s face, his voice soft yet laden with feeling. His gaze was so direct it made Ye Li’s cheeks flush. He urged him, “Go back now. Eat your fill and rest a while. I’ll be on my way.”

“Be careful on your way, and take your time,” Jiang Ji instinctively cautioned.

Hearing this, Ye Li raised his fist and waved it. “Don’t worry. If any blind fools cross my path, I’ll take on ten with one punch!”

Seeing Jiang Ji’s light smile, he cleared his throat and said seriously, “I’ll have the pottery shop’s assistant deliver the goods later. Someone will accompany you.”

“Alright.” Jiang Ji agreed, the smile still bright on his handsome face.

“I’ll be going then.” Feeling slightly embarrassed by his laughter, Ye Li turned and walked away before Jiang Ji could speak.

Ye Li walked swiftly, never looking back. The private school was just around the corner of the alley, so within a few breaths, he turned into another alley and vanished from sight.

Jiang Ji reluctantly withdrew his gaze.

After standing dazed under the tree’s shade for a while, he finally turned back toward the private school. He absolutely had to pass the autumn courtyard examination on his first try.

Otherwise, he’d be stuck studying hard at the private school again. This kind of life, like the mythical cowherd and weaver girl, was too hard to endure.

Meanwhile, after some inquiries, Ye Li located the pottery shop. This shop had been recommended by Bao Beiyuan, known for its fair prices.

He purchased ten large jars, paid an extra twenty wen for delivery, and had the shop assistant load them onto a donkey cart for transport to his village. Upon arriving home, Ye Liang was just preparing to carry a large string of tofu puffs back to the village.

Ye Li inspected the two fried snacks he’d prepared. Seeing they were similar to his own, he instructed him to come early tomorrow to learn how to make preserved eggs.

Ye Liang eagerly agreed.

His father had already bought the eggs, waiting for Ye Li to demonstrate in person.

Though it was his first attempt, with Ye Li’s guidance, he wasn’t afraid of failure. He decided to make five hundred preserved eggs in his first batch.

If Ye Liang wasn’t afraid of failure, Jiang Liu and Jiang Tong, with Ye Li’s face-to-face instruction, certainly weren’t either.

However, Ye Li specifically emphasized that to prevent the recipe from leaking, the two must bring their ingredients to his home for preparation.

Jiang Tong agreed readily.

As the eldest son, he now ran a small money-making business.

Jiang Dachuan had given him a tael of silver, telling him to buy whatever he needed and proceed freely.

However, Yezaopo had only twenty-two households, and Ye Li had already acquired nearly all the eggs the villagers possessed.

To buy eggs, he had no choice but to go to the county town.

As the eldest daughter, Jiang Liu didn’t enjoy the same treatment from Jiang Dahu as Jiang Tong did.

Therefore, that morning, when Jiang Dahu brought Jiang Liu to work, Ye Li proactively mentioned the ingredient purchases to him.

After hearing his request, Jiang Dahu waved his hand generously and said, “Whatever you need, I’ll buy it.”

Earlier, Ye Li had given him several preserved eggs.

They were indeed delicious!

Hearing this, Ye Li smiled and said, “Second Uncle, you can go buy them. But the silver spent will be a loan from Xiao Liu. Once the preserved eggs are sold, Xiao Liu will repay you.”

“A loan to me?” Jiang Dahu froze, somewhat confused.

Ye Li patiently explained, “Uncle, it’s like this. I plan to teach Xiao Liu how to make preserved eggs, and the money earned from them will be managed by Xiao Liu.”

“That won’t do!”

Jiang Dahu shook his head repeatedly, urgently protesting, “Li, Xiao Liu will marry someday. Aren’t you afraid she’ll learn the recipe and pass it on to her in-laws?”

“Nonsense!”

Ye Li knew his stubborn nature well. Hearing this, he didn’t get angry but kept smiling. “Second Uncle, it doesn’t matter if she teaches it. If she does, her in-laws will surely respect and treat her well. If a little recipe can ensure Xiao Liu has no worries after marriage, it’s well worth it.”

“After all, she’s the daughter you’ve raised with such care. If she avoids a lifetime of mistreatment from her in-laws, isn’t that a good thing?”

“Besides, if she does share it, your son-in-law will surely treat you like his own father. Second Uncle, haven’t you always longed for a son? A son-in-law is half a son, after all.”

Jiang Dahu: “…”

That sounded… odd.

His mouth twitched as he tried to protest, but no words came.

So teaching the formula to his in-laws would actually be better?

Jiang Dahu scratched his head in confusion.

But Jiang Liu clutched the braid hanging before her, her eyes slowly reddening.

She whispered softly, “Brother Li, I will never teach it to anyone else. Even after I marry, I won’t teach it.”

“People’s hearts are unpredictable. Only if the formula stays in my hands will my in-laws always respect and treat me well.”

Ye Li hadn’t expected Jiang Liu to have such awareness. She almost wanted to applaud her: “Well said!”

What a clear-headed girl!

He said, “Xiao Liu, remember this: only what you hold in your own hands can truly be relied upon.”

“Enough. If Second Uncle won’t lend you the silver, I will. After you finish grinding the grain, take the silver to the county town and buy eggs, quicklime, and sawdust.”

At these words, Jiang Dahu felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him.

He hurriedly protested, “Li, what nonsense are you talking about? With me, your own father, here, how could I possibly borrow money from you? I’ll go buy whatever you need right now.”

“Second Uncle, don’t trouble yourself. It’s not much money anyway, and Xiao Liu will repay me soon enough.”

Ye Li shook his head with a smile.

“No, no, no. I’ll handle it. After all… after all, this recipe is yours. If you’re willing to teach it, then teach it.”

Jiang Dahu sighed.

Well, it wasn’t his recipe.

Besides, as her father, he naturally hoped his daughter wouldn’t be bullied in the future.

Seeing his earnestness, Ye Li added a few more words: “Second Uncle, I see how hard Xiao Liu works. She’s just a girl, yet she comes here every day doing all this hard labor for me.”

“You always call her a money-losing liability, saying you’ll just give her a meager dowry and send her off someday.”

“That’s why I thought of teaching her how to make preserved eggs, so she can save up some silver.”

“This recipe won’t make you rich, Second Uncle. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“Alright, alright. Whatever you say goes. I’ll listen to you.”

Jiang Dahu agreed repeatedly.

His attitude satisfied Ye Li.

He instructed him to push the cart to the county town to buy eggs, quicklime, and sawdust.

If the jars at home weren’t enough, he’d need to buy a few more.

After purchasing everything, have it delivered directly to him.

Jiang Dahu jotted down the list, ate breakfast at home, tucked the silver coins into his pocket, and pushed the cart into town.

He bought over three hundred eggs.

Once Ye Li had wrapped the eggs in sawdust and sealed them in jars, he brought several jars back home.

After finishing this task, he grabbed his axe and headed to the mountain to cut trees for building Ye Li’s shed.

Meanwhile, Bao Beiyuan was equally busy—selling soy milk tea in the morning and scouring the town for a courtyard in the afternoon.

The soy milk rice mochi was proving popular; everyone who tried it praised it.

This emboldened him to seek a private courtyard, sparing him future worries about roommates discovering his recipe.

He’d already crunched the numbers: a daily profit of one hundred wen meant three taels of silver monthly.

He capped the rent at two taels, leaving the remaining tael to cover his living expenses.

To achieve a daily profit of one hundred wen, he only needed to sell forty-four bundles of soy milk rice cakes—minus the ten wen share for Ye Li.

Forty-four bundles—was that too much to ask?

Not at all!

Consider this: in just these few short days, his soy milk rice cakes had already gained repeat customers.

So he planned to rent a small courtyard.

But suitable courtyards were hard to find—either too remote or too expensive.

When he encountered a decent option, he enlisted Jiang Ji to help evaluate it. He had no experience renting a place or living independently and feared being cheated.

This was serious business. Jiang Ji tagged along a few times after evening classes, so his return home kept getting postponed.

By the time he secured the courtyard, the private school’s break was just days away.

Next came moving day. He bought special treats to thank Master Han and his dormmates—Jiang Ji was naturally present for these moments. By the time he settled into his new home, bringing back the stone mill and various tea-making utensils, the private school had already closed for the holidays.

Jiang Ji was eager to return.

The moment the dismissal bell rang, he swiftly gathered his books, dashed back to the dormitory at top speed, grabbed the bundle he’d packed that morning, and hurried out of the private school.

Summer days stretched long.

He hurried along, jogging most of the way. When the familiar courtyard came into view, the sun had yet to set.

He exhaled deeply, his pace easing.

Wiping sweat from his forehead and cheeks, he walked briskly toward home.