“Linchuan, what’s the matter?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Father. The manager of the Wangye Pavilion wants to invite me for a cup of tea.”

Manager Wu gave a slight bow in Zhou Da’s direction. “Mr. Zhou.”

Zhou Da nodded and said to Shen Linchuan, “Then go and come back soon—don’t be late getting home.”

“Manager Wu, would you mind if I brought my Fulang along?”

Manager Wu gestured for them to follow. Shen Linchuan took Zhou Ning with him, and Wu Xing led the two to a quiet teahouse nearby, where he ordered a pot of Lu’an Guapian tea and had several plates of tea snacks served.

Who in Qinghe Town didn’t know about the Wangye Pavilion? Shen Linchuan had never been there—not even back when his former self used to hang out with Zhao Si’er. Zhao Si’er, on the other hand, had been there a few times, and every time he went to the Wangye Pavilion, he’d brag about it for ages.

Rumor had it that the owner of the Wangye Pavilion was a relative of the county magistrate. It was the tallest building in all of Qinghe Town—a two-story establishment offering lodging, meals, and entertainment with singing and dancing. It was a place that even families with a little money couldn’t afford to frequent.

Since the manager of the Wangye Pavilion had come looking for him, he must have done his homework first. It was likely that his background had already been thoroughly investigated.

A dish of salted roasted hazelnuts sat on the table. Shen Linchuan grabbed a handful and began shelling them. “Ning-ger, eat up. We’re riding on Manager Wu’s coattails today.”

Manager Wu first paid Shen Linchuan a few compliments, noting that his small business was quite well-known in town. Shen Linchuan smiled and returned the pleasantries, the two of them exchanging polite banter like a game of tai chi.

Shen Linchuan had shelled quite a few hazelnuts by then. He placed them in the small dish in front of Zhou Ning. “Eat up.”

After shelling a handful of hazelnuts, Shen Linchuan grabbed a handful of walnuts and began shelling them, the crackling sound filling the air. Manager Wu’s temples throbbed slightly at the noise. Hadn’t Shen Linchuan claimed to be an idle scholar who’d married into the Zhou butcher’s family because his studies hadn’t gone well? Why was he proving so difficult to deal with?

Mr. Wu decided to cut to the chase. Smiling, he poured Shen Linchuan some more tea. “I’ve come today to invite Mr. Shen to be the head chef at our Wangye Pavilion. We can discuss the monthly salary and such.”

Shen Linchuan paused in his walnut-cracking. The shells were a bit thick—hard to crack.

“No, no, I’m just a country bumpkin—I don’t have the skills to be a chef. You’re joking, Mr. Wu.”

Shen Linchuan laughed as he spoke. Since Wu Xing knew his background, he must have realized Shen had never studied culinary arts—he was simply interested in his skill with braised pork. Shen had originally thought Wu wanted to buy the recipe, but it turned out he intended to poach him outright and monopolize his expertise.

“Mr. Shen, you’re too modest. I’ve tasted that braised pork myself—I’ve never had anything so delicious. As long as you’re willing to join us at the Wangye Pavilion, we can work something out. We can work something out.”

Shen Linchuan frowned. “I can’t handle the grind of rising early and returning late. I’ve only been married a short while and can’t bear to be apart from my Fulang. Though I don’t earn much now, at least I have my freedom. I’m just a lazy person.”

Wu Xing had no choice but to settle for the next best option. “If Manager Shen is willing to teach my chef the recipe for this pork belly, name your price.”

Wu Xing couldn’t be bothered to argue with Shen Linchuan any further. He’d originally hoped to recruit him, thinking he might even uncover some other valuable recipes, but since the man wasn’t interested, buying the pork belly recipe would have to do.

“Mr. Wu, please don’t put my husband in a difficult position.” Zhou Ning frowned at his words; currently, only his family knows how to make the minced meat. If the recipe were sold, how would his family continue to do business?

Shen Linchuan patted Zhou Ning’s hand soothingly and pushed the shelled walnuts toward him. “I wonder how much silver Mr. Wu is willing to offer?”

“Ten taels. If Manager Shen is willing, I’ll hand over the silver right now.”

Ten taels of silver—Wu Xing must be taking advantage of the fact that his family was a powerless, rural household. Ten taels of silver—he could earn that much in a single month.

“Is Manager Wu truly here to discuss this business?”

“Of course.”

Wu Xing had shed the humility he’d displayed at the market. As the proprietor of the Wangye Pavilion, even the town magistrate would have to show him some deference. Shen Linchuan was nothing more than a peasant who couldn’t even read properly; the fact that he’d come in person was already giving him plenty of face, yet here he was, refusing the kind offer and insisting on a harsher one.

“Let’s not beat around the bush—thirty taels, and my establishment will still carry out this business.”

“No way! How could the dishes at our Wangye Pavilion be the same as those at a street stall?”

That would lower the prestige of the Wangye Pavilion. The guests who dined there were all prominent figures in town—either wealthy merchants or government officials. If these people were served the same food as on the street, it would make the Wangye Pavilion seem cheap. No matter how delicious the dish was, it simply wouldn’t do.

“If you, Manager Wu, are truly serious about this deal, give me a fair price.”

“Twenty taels—for the exclusive rights.”

“No way.”

Shen Linchuan flatly refused. He didn’t mind selling the recipe for Bazi meat; coming up with other dishes wasn’t out of the question. But Wu Xing was trying to bully him by leveraging his influence in town.

Twenty taels was no small sum in the countryside, but his “Bazi meat” business was booming—there was no way he’d sell it off for such a low price.

Shen Linchuan stood up. “It’s not that I won’t sell the recipe for ‘Bazi meat.’ If Manager Wu is truly serious about buying it, come find me again. I’ll take my leave now.”

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning were about to leave the teahouse when one of Wu Xing’s henchmen blocked their path. Zhou Ning raised his fist. “Are you looking for a fight?”

The henchman flinched in fear. He knew Zhou Ning—the ger of the butcher Zhou—and ordinary men were no match for him.

Wu Xing waved his hand. “Let them go. Once they step outside that door, they’ll regret it.”

Shen Linchuan walked away with Zhou Ning without looking back. Once they’d left the teahouse, Shen Linchuan asked with a smile, “Were the pastries inside any good? We should buy some to take home another day.”

Zhou Ning shook his head. “They weren’t good. That proprietor of the Wangye Pavilion is just bullying us common folk.”

“I thought you really liked those hazelnuts. Or do you just like it when your husband peels them for you?”

“Shen Linchuan, I’m talking to you about serious business.”

“I’m listening, I’m listening.”

The two returned to their small stall. Zhou Da asked a few questions, and Shen Linchuan told him the truth. Zhou Da was so furious, he slammed a butcher’s knife down on the counter. “This is outrageous!”

“Father, don’t get angry. The Wangye Pavilion didn’t succeed this time. Let’s see what tricks they have up their sleeves.”

“Linchuan, don’t worry. I’ve been in business in this town for all these years and know a few people. We won’t let them push us around for nothing.”

“I know, Dad. I’ll head back with Ning-ger first.”

“Alright.”

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning packed up their things and headed home. Zhou Ning was still fuming. “Shen Linchuan, don’t worry. If it comes to a fight, I could take on seven or eight of them.”

“I wouldn’t want my Fulang to get into a fight with anyone. If he got hurt, I’d be heartbroken.”

Shen Linchuan had a plan forming in his mind. After all, he was just a manager at the Wangye Pavilion—yet he dared to act so arrogantly. Anyone unaware might think he was the owner.

If Wu Xing had genuinely wanted to buy his formula, that would have been one thing, but this was clearly an attempt to bully him.

They carried on with business as usual. The next day, they arrived at the market early as always. A crowd of customers had already gathered around them, but before Shen Linchuan could even get worked up, two constables from the Market Bureau came over to shoo them away. “Move along, move along! Everyone step aside.”

“Sir, what’s going on here?”

Zhou Da, seeing the officers approach, hurried over as well, holding some small silver coins to slip into one of the officers’ hands. “Officer Wang, what’s the matter? We’ve paid our market fees properly.”

The constable surnamed Wang pushed the coins away at first, but eventually accepted them behind his back. “We’re just following the rules. The Market Bureau isn’t renting out this stall anymore. Pack up your things and leave immediately.”

“If this stall isn’t available, Sir, is there anywhere else you can rent to us?” Shen Linchuan asked.

“No, no. Every single stall on this entire street is taken now. Where would I find a spare spot to rent to you?”

Shen Linchuan snorted inwardly. So they’d been waiting for him here all along.

Zhou Da whispered, “Constable Wang, we’ve known each other for years. Give us the lowdown.”

The patrolman named Wang lowered his voice and said, “Did you guys cross the Wangye Pavilion? Wu Xing has paid off the Market Bureau to have you kicked out. You’d better watch your step. If you don’t do as he says, I’m afraid your stall is in trouble too.”

“Thanks, thanks.”

Patrolman Wang began shouting again, “What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and pack it up!”

Zhou Da also hurried to help pack up the stall they’d just set up. “Ning-ger, you and Linchuan go home first. We’ll discuss this when we get home.”

“Father, the Wangye Pavilion is just bullying us because we have no power or influence.” Zhou Ning was furious, but Shen Linchuan seemed much calmer. “Ning-ger, pack up. Let’s head home first.”

They were just ordinary folk, and Shen Linchuan was merely a Tongsheng—they had no way to stand up to the constables. Shen Linchuan didn’t consider himself a saint; he was just trying to negotiate peacefully. But if they pushed him too far, he wouldn’t hold back.

A crowd had already gathered nearby, waiting to buy the pork. Seeing the stall being packed up, some began to shout, “Wait a minute! What gives you the right to stop him from selling? He’s just minding his own business. You just decide to shut him down like that—is there no law anymore?”

“Exactly! We’ve all been waiting this long—why can’t we buy it?”

Most of the people around were regular customers of Shen Linchuan’s pork slices. Seeing that he was barred from selling, they wondered what they would eat in the future. Every time they wanted to buy these pork slices, they’d come early in the morning to wait. What right did anyone have to stop him from doing business?

More and more people began to voice their outrage. “Is someone jealous of Boss Shen’s good business? Who’s the bastard who’s ruining it for us? Now we won’t even get to eat!”

Seeing the crowd growing larger, the two constables hurriedly left, afraid they might provoke the crowd’s anger and get beaten up. With so many people, if they took turns hitting them, they wouldn’t even be able to find anyone to sue later—after all, they were just following orders.

“Sorry, everyone, we can’t do business today. If you don’t mind the meat getting cold, we’ll head to the edge of town.”

“I’ll take it! I’ll take it! I’ve been waiting for this for ages!”

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning left carrying their buckets, followed by quite a few people eager to buy the pork. Shopkeeper Lu had been standing at the door watching the commotion. He’d seen the Market Bureau constables come over to cause trouble for Shen Linchuan, and then heard the crowd shouting that they wouldn’t be allowed to sell it anymore!

Then, seeing that Shen Linchuan and his husband had indeed packed up and left, Shopkeeper Lu let out a cry of dismay and hurried to the back to fetch a bowl. “If they’re not selling anymore, what am I supposed to eat from now on?”

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning walked toward the edge of the market, followed by a long line of people. A street vendor selling goods by the roadside asked, “What’s going on? Why are there so many people?”

“Oh my, you don’t know? Butcher Zhou’s pork belly business has been shut down. We won’t be able to eat such delicious meat anymore.”

“Why?”

“Who knows? The Market Bureau officials just came and chased them away.”

More and more people followed behind. Manager Lu, bowl in hand, rushed forward, afraid of falling behind. With so many people, he had to make sure he got his hands on that last serving of braised pork!

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning arrived in town carrying two buckets of braised pork, with a crowd of over a hundred people trailing behind them. Shen Linchuan hadn’t expected the crowd to be so much larger than he’d imagined.

He bowed his hands and said, “Everyone, thank you all for your support since this little stall first opened. It’s just that the other day, Manager Wu from the Wangye Pavilion tried to buy my recipe at a low price, and I refused—that’s what caused the trouble. Alas, today will likely be the last time I come to sell braised pork.”

“Give it to me! Give it to me! I’ll buy it, I’ll buy it!”

“Me too! I’ve been waiting here for ages!”

With so many people gathered—some just there for the spectacle, but most of them regular customers—the crowd rushed to buy the meat as soon as they heard this would be the last chance to enjoy such delicious pork.

Zhou Ning shielded Shen Linchuan; otherwise, he would have been knocked over by the crowd. Shen Linchuan quickly added, “Everyone, please don’t push—don’t push! It’s the last day. To make sure everyone gets a final taste, let’s all be considerate today and limit ourselves to just one item each.”

The crowd pressed in even more fiercely. If not for Zhou Ning keeping order, these people might have come to blows; arguments had already begun. The two buckets of prepared ingredients sold out quickly, and even the meat broth was scraped clean.

Shen Linchuan bowed to the crowd once more. “Thank you all for your kindness. As for the future… Ah, never mind. I’ll be heading home with my Fulang now.”

Shen Linchuan’s eyes were red. He wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve and, looking utterly heartbroken, led Zhou Ning away.

Shopkeeper Lu, relying on his quick reflexes, had barely managed to snatch a slice of pork belly. He cradled the meat, reluctant to eat it. “Ah, I’ll never get to eat meat this good again.”

Someone spoke up indignantly, “Why should the Wangye Pavilion get to buy whatever they want just because they ask? It’s downright unfair!”

“Exactly! A single dish at the Wangye Pavilion costs seventy or eighty wen, sometimes even a hundred. A single meal runs you several taels of silver. We common folk can’t even afford to eat well, and now they’re going to snatch this away from us too!”

“That Wu Xing is really taking advantage of us!”

“What gives? Come on, let’s go check out the Wangye Pavilion!”

“Let’s go, I’m coming too!”

Shopkeeper Lu spat out, “You’re absolutely right. We can’t afford the food at the Wangye Pavilion, and now they’re trying to take away what we can afford? They’re just relying on their connections with the county magistrate’s family—they’re getting way too arrogant!”

“Let’s go, all of us!”

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning hadn’t gone far yet. Hearing the commotion behind him, Shen Linchuan’s lips curled into a smile—the effect was surprisingly good. Ever since he’d turned down Wu Xing at the teahouse yesterday, he’d already figured out a plan.

He knew all about the Wangye Pavilion. Although neither his original self nor he had ever dined there, Zhao Si’er had—and he was the type to show off. Every time Zhao Si’er visited the Wangye Pavilion, he’d inevitably brag about it back at the academy.

Wangyue Lou had two managers. The one who’d come to see him yesterday was the head manager, and there was also a second manager surnamed Li. Even if he couldn’t meet the owner of Wangyue Lou, he could still track down the second manager surnamed Li—that was the first avenue to explore.

Then there’s the owner of the Wangye Pavilion. Since the Wangye Pavilion wants to buy the recipe, the owner must have tried it. That’s the second avenue to explore. Although it’s a bit difficult to get in touch with the owner, it’s not impossible—and compared to the first option, this one is much easier to pursue.

There’s also a third option: asking their regular customers to help him out. He doesn’t know how effective this will be, but it might yield unexpected results.

Zhou Ning gently took Shen Linchuan’s hand. “Shen Linchuan, are you crying? It’s okay. The worst that can happen is we don’t do this business. We’ll think of other ways. Father has connections in town; we won’t let them bully us for nothing.”

“Shen Linchuan, don’t be sad. Let’s go report this to the authorities, or I’ll go drag that Wu guy out and beat him up to vent your anger.”

Shen Linchuan had originally intended to play the victim to elicit some sympathy from his Fulang, but his Fulang’s incessant chatter broke his act. He turned his head and buried it in his Fulang’s chest, laughing so hard his shoulders shook.

Zhou Ning, however, felt that his little husband had suffered a great injustice this time. Mimicking the way Shen Linchuan would comfort him, he patted the person in his arms on the back. “Shen Linchuan, it’s okay now.”

Zhou Ning felt a bit frustrated at his own clumsiness with words—he didn’t even know how to comfort someone. “Shen Linchuan, I’m sorry. I’m no good at comforting people.”

Shen Linchuan completely lost it, burying his face in Zhou Ning’s shoulder and bursting into laughter. Zhou Ning froze—could it be that his little husband was so furious he actually started laughing? “Shen Linchuan?”

Shen Linchuan gave Fulang’s shoulder a light tap, looked up, and laughed heartily. “I wasn’t crying, I wasn’t crying, hahaha. How come you don’t know how to comfort someone? I think you did a pretty good job. If you’d kissed me in public just now, I wouldn’t have been upset at all.”

Only then did Zhou Ning realize his little husband wasn’t angry at all—he’d clearly just come over to take advantage of him!

Zhou Ning, feeling both annoyed and embarrassed, strode ahead without acknowledging Shen Linchuan. Shen Linchuan hurried after him, jogging to keep up. “Please, Ning-ger, please, my Fulang, I was wrong, I was wrong.”

After coaxing him for a while, Shen Linchuan finally managed to coax a smile out of Zhou Ning. “It’s fine. I have a plan. He’s just a shopkeeper who’s bullying people by borrowing the tiger’s might.”

Zhou Ning blinked. “What’s all this about foxes and tigers? We’re talking about the Wangyeing Pavilion.”

Shen Linchuan flicked his high ponytail; the hair ribbon draped over his shoulder fluttered in the breeze, radiating a youthful, carefree spirit. “I keep telling you to study properly—that’s a fox borrowing a tiger’s might. Let me tell you the story.”

Shen Linchuan went home while telling the story, spilling his entire plan in the process. Only then did Zhou Ning feel at ease—so that’s why Shen Linchuan had been so calm; he’d already thought it all through.

“Shen Linchuan, I’ve never met anyone as smart as you.”

Shen Linchuan replied with a mischievous grin, “Zhou Ning, I’ve never met anyone as handsome, capable, kind, and super-duper amazing as you. Someone this amazing has actually become my Fulang—hahaha.”

As Shen Linchuan spoke, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter himself. Zhou Ning was flattered by his praise—Shen Linchuan really knew how to talk.

“But since we’ll probably have nothing to do these next few days, and we’ve saved up twenty-five taels of silver—enough to buy Father a mule—it’s perfect timing. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the market with Father. While he sells pork, we’ll go look at mules.”

“Why not wait a little longer? Let’s hold off until this matter is settled. If you spend it all now, you won’t have a single coin left.”

“Oh, what’s there to worry about? I’ve got my capable Fulang here, after all. I’m a son-in-law by marriage, you know—you have to support me.”

“Alright, I’ll support you.”

Shen Linchuan chuckled again. His Fulang really was something—how could he be so endearing?

By late afternoon, Zhou Da had returned as well. He’d come back early today. The weather had already grown hotter than before, and the wheat in the fields had begun to head. Zhou Da must have been in a hurry to get back; by the time he reached home, he was drenched in sweat.

“Father’s back.”

Shen Linchuan closed the book in his hands. Zhou Ning, seeing his father had returned, helped unload the items from the cart. “Father, why did you come back in such a hurry?”

“It’s about the Wangye Pavilion. It really makes my blood boil! Even though we’re just ordinary folk, they shouldn’t be able to bully us like that!”

“But after you two left, the Wangye Pavilion was surrounded by a crowd. Manager Lu told me about it. He said some of our regular customers—the ones who always come to our shop—stood up for us and caused a scene at the Wangye Pavilion. They gave that Wu fellow such a hard time that he was sweating buckets. Serves him right!”

Shen Linchuan poured a bowl of tea and brought it out. “Father, have a drink first.”

“Ah.” Zhou Da gulped it down in two big swallows. “Linchuan, I’ll figure something out. I’ve been thinking about this all day at the market. I know people from all walks of life—giving that Wu fellow a good thrashing wouldn’t be hard. And as for the owner of the Wangye Pavilion, I hear he keeps a mistress. I can ask someone to pull some strings.”

Shen Linchuan hadn’t realized his father had such connections. Standing in the courtyard, he went over his plan with his father again. Zhou Da burst out laughing. “Good lad, you’ve thought this through better than I have. Alright, just tell me where you need my help—it’s nothing more than spending a little silver.”

“Hmm, let’s not rush to use your connections just yet. After all the commotion today, the Wangye Pavilion might be even more desperate than we are.”

Shen Linchuan added that since they wouldn’t be able to do business for the next few days anyway, they might as well go to town and buy a mule—it would come in handy when business picked up again. Zhou Da agreed with Zhou Ning; he felt Shen Linchuan had worked hard to save that silver, so there was no rush to buy livestock—they should wait a little longer.

“Father, it’s fine. You drag that heavy cart around every day to make a living—Ning-ger feels for you, too. The sooner we buy it, the sooner we can use it.”

“Alright. I still have about ten taels of silver on hand. If it’s not enough, just tell me. If you need to buy gifts or grease the wheels, I’ll cover those costs for you.”

“Okay, don’t worry. I’ll let you know if we need it.”

Shen Linchuan was right. Today, dozens of people had gathered outside the Wangye Pavilion, shouting about being bullied. With so many people there, the owners hadn’t come out to smash things or cause trouble, and Wu Xing was at a loss. Even if he called the constables, he had no grounds to do so, and he was pacing back and forth in frustration.

Back at the teahouse, he’d been smug when he saw Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning being chased away—figuring they’d had their chance but refused it. He never expected that, barely a moment after turning back, people would come to their defense. Who knew Shen Linchuan was so well-liked in town!

Fortunately, the boss wasn’t around today; otherwise, he’d be in for it for failing to handle even such a minor matter.

He could only send an assistant out to shoo them away, but they simply refused to leave, infuriating him to the point where he wanted to beat them all up.

Deputy Manager Li stood outside the counter, leisurely flicking the beads of his abacus. “Old Wu, should we ask the boss how to handle this?”

“No need. It’s not a big deal—why bother disturbing the boss’s peace?”

Watching Li Zhong’s smug, spectator-like expression only made Wu Xing angrier. That old fox was just itching to climb over his head—in his dreams!

It’s just a formula; he’ll simply buy it at a high price. It’s not Li Zhong’s place to watch him make a fool of himself!