Ji Rongxia smiled as he propped his chin in his hand, his body swaying slightly. He looked so carefree—the little chef had taken the bait so easily. Culinary God System: “……”

I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve been tricked.

“The little chef said it’s okay. Tangjin, you guessed right—you know how to do this too.” He looked at Gu Tangjin with admiration in his eyes.

“Then I won’t worry. I’ll share the soap with everyone later—no one will accuse me of being wasteful.”

“I learned how to make it from a book. Someone in a previous dynasty compiled a book documenting the hundred trades, but unfortunately, due to the turmoil of war, only fragments remain. I’ve only seen a few pages copied from those fragments.” In truth, Gu Tangjin suspected that a complete version still existed, but ordinary people simply couldn’t access it.

Ji Rongxia exclaimed in surprise, “There’s actually a book like that? The person who wrote it must have been quite knowledgeable.”

Gu Tangjin seized the opportunity to say, “There’s a house of gold within the pages of a book. What do you say, my fair Yan Ruyu? Shall we spend today learning to read and write properly?” 

Ji Rongxia: “……”

“Yan Ruyu,” Ji Rongxia felt completely drained after finishing his writing practice.

Gu Tangjin was no longer relying solely on the agricultural manual to teach Ji Rongxia to read and write. He had started using other books as well, and just seeing them gave Ji Rongxia a headache.

When Ji Rongxia arrived in the system space, he put his hands on his hips and let out a sigh of relief.

“They say learning to read and write makes you smarter, but it’s such a pain. Calligraphy is so hard—it feels like I’m not controlling the brush; it’s the brush that’s controlling me!” Ji Rongxia stretched and said, “Little Master, cooking really is the right path for me.”

Of course, complaints aside, he still had to practice his calligraphy and keep up with his studies. 

The Culinary God System flashed: “Hang in there, Host!”

As for the struggles of a poor student—though it had never experienced them firsthand—it offered its understanding and support.

“Hang in there? I don’t need any more oil—I’ve got way too much waste oil already. I’ve been meaning to ask you: when you say ‘hang in there,’ does that mean ‘try harder’? Why do I need to ‘hang in there’? Is it like pouring oil on a fire to make it burn even brighter?” Ji Rongxia was particularly sensitive to the word “oil” today.

The Culinary God System thought to itself, So ‘加油’ can be interpreted that way too! The host’s imagination is still as wild as ever.

“There’s a type of energy called oil, and ‘加油’ means to refuel,” the Culinary God System explained simply. Ji Rongxia nodded casually. So that’s how it is.

He waved his hand. “Forget it. I’m just not on good terms with ‘oil’ today. I’d better go make some brown sugar rice cakes first.”

Ji Rongxia wasn’t feeling his best today, but he managed to push the completion rate of the brown sugar rice cakes up to ninety-nine percent.

【Ding. Detection shows the brown sugar rice cake seasoning completion rate is 99%. Exceeding 95% triggers a special reward.】

【Ding! Special Reward: The detailed recipe for the brown sugar rice cakes seasoned by the Host and the recipe for perfect brown sugar rice cakes.】

The cloud-shaped Culinary God System flickered: “Host, while your talent for reading and writing may be limited, you’re a natural at cooking.” Even feeling under the weather, he still managed to score high!

Ji Rongxia patted his chest and said, “That’s not all I can do.” 

“So, will you continue, Host?” asked the Culinary God System. 

“Continue!” Ji Rongxia said without hesitation.

【Dish 13: Roasted Lamb Chops (boiled version required).】

【Note: Here is a simplified version of the recipe: Trim the lamb chops neatly. Bring water to a boil and blanch the lamb chops. Remove them, rinse under cold water to remove any blood residue, then set aside. In a pot, combine soy sauce, water, ground pepper, cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, cooking wine, onion, and the lamb chops. Simmer until 80% cooked. Remove the lamb chops and let them air-dry. Coat them with a mixture of beaten egg and flour, then place them in the oven. Once cooked through, slice into pieces and sprinkle with cumin to serve.】

【Please enjoy the finished dish, Host.】

“Lamb… it’s been ages since I’ve had this.” Ji Rongxia picked up a small piece of roasted lamb chop. The surface was crispy and aromatic, while the inside remained juicy. With one bite, the flavors of cumin and lamb exploded in his mouth.

“Cumin and lamb go really well together,” Ji Rongxia said, savoring the flavor. “This lamb has very little gaminess, and the meat is incredibly tender.”

As he reminisced, Ji Rongxia began seasoning the dish.

“Is this a shallot? It tastes a bit sweet.” Ji Rongxia picked up the purple-tinged onion, cut off a piece, and felt that this shallot could almost be eaten as a fruit. The Culinary God System didn’t interrupt Ji Rongxia; muttering to himself while seasoning was his habit.

He didn’t actually need the Culinary God System’s input; Ji Rongxia was simply taking his time to savor the flavor of each ingredient. The taste of grilled lamb chops was actually somewhat unfamiliar to Ji Rongxia, who didn’t eat lamb very often.

As a result, he worked a bit more slowly.

It took about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before the completion rate reached sixty-three percent.

“That’s all for today. Goodbye, little chef.” Ji Rongxia stopped with great self-control.

Ji Rongxia left the system space, rolled over to face Gu Tangjin, and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next day, after Gu Tangjin and Ji Rongxia had washed up, their first task was to prepare all the ingredients provided by the little chef. Only after finishing that could the two of them set their minds at ease and attend to other matters.

When Gu Tangjin said he would make scented soap for Ji Rongxia, he wasn’t just paying lip service. He changed into an old, short brown jacket and scooped the ash out of the stove.

Some of the Gu family’s wood ash was spread on the fields in the courtyard to fertilize the soil, while some was sold to ash collectors. To keep the earthen stove well-ventilated and functioning properly, the ashes had to be cleared out every day.

Three large baskets of ash had already piled up in the utility shed.

Among the ashes were unburned pieces of firewood, half-burned dry leaves, as well as some soil and small stones. Gu Tangjin first wrapped a cloth around his face, then used a bamboo sieve to sift out the fine ash.

He poured the sifted ash into water to boil, then strained the liquid through a fine cloth. He also added some grayish-white talc—which happened to be available in the kitchen, carefully wrapped in oil paper. It was usually used to sprinkle in corners to ward off illness. He had to thank his parents for always being so clean and for buying such things; otherwise, he wouldn’t have had it on hand now.

This water must be set aside for half a day before use.

Gu Tangjin placed the wooden barrel that Ji Rongxia had filled with yesterday’s used oil into their room. He’ll wait until the scented soap is made before telling my parents about this.

Although they can afford the oil, such wastefulness would likely upset his parents.

This was Gu Tangjin’s first time making this, and he wasn’t sure if the oil used to fry fish would retain a fishy smell, so he asked Ji Rongxia for some cloves and angelica root.

“What are you going to use these for?” Ji Rongxia asked, puzzled.

“Grind them into powder and add them to the scented soap—it’ll give it a nice fragrance,” Gu Tangjin explained.

Ji Rongxia: “These ingredients really are versatile—they remove the gamey smell from meat and add fragrance to soap!” 

Gu Tangjin nodded: “That’s right.”

“We also have osmanthus flowers. Would you like to add some?” Ji Rongxia’s eyes lit up. “Can we grind dried tangerine peel and add it in? I love the scent of dried tangerine peel! I’ll get some for you! I bought plenty of it too!”

“Sure, let’s make some to try.” Gu Tangjin smiled as he took the dried tangerine peel. “We can’t make it just yet. We need to let the water boiled with wood ash sit for a while. I’ll grind it up when I’m ready to use it. If we grind it now and set it aside, the fragrance will dissipate.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I’ll just wait then.” Ji Rongxia’s heart was filled with anticipation. Not only had he saved the fat, but he’d also end up with some fragrant soap scented with dried tangerine peel! His steps grew lighter, and he cooked with even more energy.

Ji Rongxia thought he’d make some pan-fried dumplings for breakfast today—he hadn’t had them in ages, and he was actually craving them! Seeing this, Gu Tangjin thought to himself, “Xia-ger is still so easy to please.”

The rice seeds hadn’t sprouted yet today, so Gu Tangjin didn’t need to go out to the fields. He tidied up the courtyard thoroughly, packing the remaining wood ash into burlap sacks to save for later use as fertilizer.

The two puppies had grown a bit; their bodies were getting longer, but they were still fluffy. As soon as they saw Gu Tangjin, they darted to his feet. A knock sounded at the door. Gu Tangjin looked up and saw Peng Lecheng, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Brother Peng? What a rare visitor! Please come in.” Gu Tangjin had expected him to come, but hadn’t anticipated him arriving so soon. He ushered him inside and closed the door behind them.

Peng Lecheng was carrying a small basket. He took a few steps into the courtyard and first bowed to Gu Tangjin.

“Thank you for your guidance, Brother Gu. It is entirely thanks to you that I have caught the Magistrate’s eye. Here are some dried jujubes I sun-dried myself—they’re not worth much, but please accept them.”

Gu Tangjin turned slightly to avoid him, declining the full bow, but he accepted the dried jujubes.

“Brother Peng, there’s no need for such formality. It’s because you’re truly talented; otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to speak so boldly to the Magistrate,” Gu Tangjin said with a smile.

Peng Lecheng felt a sense of relief upon hearing this: “Talented people are as numerous as fish crossing the river; without recognition, one is merely a fish among them. I will remember Brother Gu’s kindness.”

“You’re being too formal,” Gu Tangjin said, pulling Ji Rongxia—who had come out to watch the commotion—closer. “This is my husband, Xia-ger. You may call him ‘brother-in-law’ if you like.”

“My brother-in-law? He truly is a fine-looking man. Brother Gu, you and Brother Xia are a perfect match—made for each other,” Peng Lecheng said with a twinkle in his eye.

Those words struck a chord with Gu Tangjin and Ji Rongxia.

“Why don’t you stay for a meal before you go?” Ji Rongxia invited him warmly.

“No, thank you. I still have to go on duty today.” Peng Lecheng’s tone betrayed a joy he couldn’t quite contain.

“Oh, then we won’t keep you.” Ji Rongxia went to the kitchen, grabbed a few pan-fried buns, placed a lotus leaf underneath them, and put them in a basket. As for the dried red dates in the basket, Ji Rongxia took them out and left them in the kitchen.

Ji Rongxia: “Here, take these to eat.”

“How can I accept this?” Peng Lecheng thought to himself. He’d come to express his gratitude—how could he possibly take something home with him? That would be utterly inappropriate. “If I tell you to take it, then take it.” Gu Tangjin shoved the items into his hands.

Seeing Gu Tangjin act this way, Peng Lecheng thought to himself that Scholar Gu had indeed changed a great deal. Could marriage really transform a person so drastically? With the couple getting along so harmoniously, no wonder Scholar Gu was unwilling to take the position of legal advisor at the county office.

After Peng Lecheng left, Ji Rongxia asked, “Is this the person you recommended to Magistrate Wu?”

“Yes, Peng Lecheng. He’s three years older than me. His mental arithmetic is much faster than mine—he can memorize an entire page of accounts with just a single glance. He doesn’t even need an abacus to keep the books; he just uses his head. When I was studying, I envied him so much that I secretly practiced mental arithmetic for a long time, but I still can’t hold a candle to him.” Gu Tangjin wrapped his arm around Ji Rongxia and gestured a great distance.

“That impressive?” Ji Rongxia’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“You bet. The person I chose has to be amazing.” Gu Tangjin, showing a rare glimpse of his youthful side, spoke with a touch of pride. “Oh, so everyone you’ve chosen has made you envious?” Ji Rongxia asked curiously.

So Tangjin actually envies others?

A shy smile flitted across Gu Tangjin’s face as he spoke: “There are many people I’ve envied. When I was young, I always felt that if I couldn’t come in first, I’d lost.”

“Old Master Su is better at calligraphy and painting than I am.” 

“Brother Peng is better at arithmetic than I am.”

“Mr. Jia knew more about hydrology and topography than I did.”

“Old Master Guan, on the other hand, is a gifted orator who excels at mediating complex relationships. He also understands agriculture and the arts of craftsmanship—it was from him that I saw the fragments of *The Record of Crafts*.”

Gu Tangjin laughed as he spoke: “Whenever I meet someone I admire, I can’t help but want to befriend them. In fact, I once envied Guan Hongchi for his excellent cooking skills and his ability to earn a lot of silver. But since he was so reluctant to get close to me back then, I had no choice but to keep a cold face toward him as well.”

“No wonder. Whenever you spoke of Guan Hongchi to me, you had nothing but good things to say. So that’s how it was.”

Ji Rongxia listened with great interest: “I always thought you, Tangjin, had been level-headed since childhood.” So that wasn’t the case at all!!!

“I wasn’t born with innate wisdom—how could I have been composed from childhood? I was just putting on a composed front; what I was thinking inside was known only to me.” Gu Tangjin gently touched his forehead against Ji Rongxia’s. “Now there’s one more person who knows.”

Ji Rongxia playfully clasped his hands around his neck, feigning distress. “Uh, well, you better not kill me to silence me. I’m actually pretty easy to kill.”

Gu Tangjin: “???”

Gu Tangjin was amused by his words. “Hahaha, well, I promise to let you live.”

Now that he knew Gu Tangjin’s little secret, Ji Rongxia was in a great mood all day, and the dishes he cooked tasted even better than usual.

When Wu Baoquan came by at noon, he brought quite a few crumbly pancakes and shrimp meat patties, saying they were to serve as provisions for the journey to the prefectural city. Seeing that he truly intended to personally visit each person Ji Rongxia had recommended, Gu Tangjin felt a newfound respect for this county magistrate.

Even if Magistrate Wu’s current actions were merely a pretense, the fact that he could put on such a convincing and sincere show was a skill in itself. After a busy day, he cleared the tableware at dusk.

Gu Tangjin used a stone mill to finely grind the spices. The used oil needed to be filtered before reuse.

Not knowing the correct ratio of rapeseed oil to wood ash water, Gu Tangjin first poured a small amount of oil into a clay pot to test it. Yao Tianlan and Gu Chuncai looked on, completely bewildered.

Gu Tangjin explained, “I read a recipe for making soap in a book. If we keep using this oil, the dishes won’t taste good, and the fried meat won’t look appealing. We’re selling our food at such high prices—if the food isn’t good, it could ruin our reputation. So I thought I’d turn this used oil into scented soap. We can use it ourselves, give some away, or sell it to the Diao family’s general store. At least that way, the oil won’t go to waste.”

Ji Rongxia nodded repeatedly and said, “That’s right. Mom and Dad, oil turns black and goes bad after a while. We sell each dish for over a hundred wen—we can’t let that ruin our reputation.”

This was the excuse the two of them had concocted.

Yao Tianlan and Gu Chuncai, who had initially felt a bit sorry to waste the oil, didn’t object after hearing this. Yao Tianlan sighed, “How much oil will we need each day?”

“I’ve made arrangements with the oil mill to buy oil every month. We’re sure to make a profit either way.” Gu Tangjin took some clear wood ash water and slowly poured it into the oil.

Then they stoked the oven until it was hot, sealed the opening, and placed the clay pot on the board covering the oven mouth—ensuring it heated evenly without getting too hot. Ji Rongxia stirred slowly with a bamboo paddle until the mixture gradually thickened and became difficult to stir. He then added some salt and water. According to Tangjin, if salt isn’t added, the soap won’t set—though he didn’t know why that was the case.

The Culinary God System watched silently, dying to explain: since soap made from wood ash and quicklime is potassium soap—and potassium soap is a liquid soap—adding salt causes the sodium to precipitate, forming a solid soap bar.

Yao Tianlan had never seen scented soap being made; she’d only ever bought it from the general store, so she was quite curious and came over to take a look. Even Gu Chuncai couldn’t resist and came over to see the novelty.

Ji Rongxia finally added a pinch of clove powder to the mixture.

Gu Tangjin carefully spooned the thick paste into a bamboo tube.

Gu Tangjin had originally intended to use a wooden box, but he wasn’t sure how he would get the scented soap out later. If he had to split the box open, it would be a waste of the box—a bamboo tube was much cheaper.

When he was done, Gu Tangjin wrote the characters for “clove” on the bamboo tube.

Finding the process amusing, Gu Chuncai and Yao Tianlan both tried their hand at it. However, Gu Tangjin insisted on pouring the water made from wood ash and ground stone himself, allowing them only to do the dry mixing. It wasn’t that he was bossy; it was simply that the water could easily burn the skin if splashed on, so Gu Tangjin didn’t dare let anyone else handle it.

The four of them then went on to make scented soap bars infused with dried tangerine peel powder, angelica root powder, and cassia bark powder.

As they worked, Gu Tangjin realized he’d made too little of the water mixture from wood ash and pumice, and too much oil, so they couldn’t finish a single batch. Ji Rongxia shook out his arms and said, “This really is hard work.”

Gu Tangjin nodded. “When Diao Dalang returns, ask him if he’d like to take on this work. We’ll provide the formula and the oil, and he’ll contribute his labor. In return, he can give us a share of the silver and some scented soap each month.”

He had already worked out the formula earlier.

It was just that making this stuff was a bit dangerous, and it wasn’t really appropriate for their own people to do it. Plus, the mixing was genuinely exhausting.

It was the perfect excuse to build a rapport with Diao Dalang and probe him about the energy stones—this would serve as the perfect pretext! Not to mention, having an additional source of income for the household was truly killing two birds with one stone.

After saying that, Gu Tangjin, worried that Ji Rongxia might not have understood, gave him a meaningful wink. Ji Rongxia caught on immediately: “Can we do it that way?”

Suddenly, he no longer felt the strain in his arms: “Sure, sure!”

In his mind, Ji Rongxia said to the Culinary God System, “Little Chef, are you happy? We’re one step closer to recharging!”

The Culinary God System was still a bit confused. Hadn’t they just been huffing and puffing away, buried in making soap?

How did it suddenly jump to paving the way for recharging?! Humans are so mysterious!