Ji Rongxia waved his hand weakly.

“Let’s… get to work.”

Since he was already here!!!

The Cooking God System stared blankly at its host. Was the host just too happy?

Although Ji Rongxia enjoyed learning to cook, that didn’t mean he liked learning while out having fun. But the young chef had kindly invited him along.

Work is work, after all.

Upon arriving at the kitchen, Ji Rongxia reminded him, “Little Master, if Tangjin wakes up and is looking for me, give me a heads-up.”

He hadn’t forgotten that he’d originally been taking an afternoon nap with Tangjin. What if Tangjin woke up, found he couldn’t wake him no matter how hard he tried, and got worried?

He hadn’t even told Tangjin that he could come in during the day!

Oh, right— until today, the Cooking God System hadn’t told him he could come in during the day either!

“Got it.” The Cooking God System immediately pushed aside its earlier doubts and replied enthusiastically. Although Ji Rongxia was being forced to work, he still concentrated intently on preparing the taro-braised pork.

“When I go to the provincial capital this time, I need to buy some spices. I think this spice powder is really good—it works for both stewing and stir-frying, and it adds a lot of flavor to dishes.” Ji Rongxia felt that he might not be able to find all the necessary ingredients in the provincial capital.

“But I’ll buy as much as I can. If I can’t find them, I’ll just create a simplified version.”

Ji Rongxia felt he hadn’t learned much in the way of cooking yet, but he was becoming increasingly adept at modifying recipes and seasoning blends. Meanwhile, Gu Tangjin woke up after only a brief nap.

He was a light sleeper to begin with, and it was even less likely for him to sleep deeply while out.

When he woke up, he found Ji Rongxia limp and completely unconscious. Gu Tangjin frowned and grabbed Ji Rongxia’s hand to take his pulse.

An ancient saying goes: “Parents who do not know medicine are considered unkind; children who do not know medicine are considered unfilial.”

Gu Tangjin had read a few medical texts here and there. Such books were rare and mostly kept within the Xinglin family; as a mere scholar, he had little access to them, so he hadn’t read many and hadn’t studied them deeply.

Two years ago, he was able to discern that his leg had been deliberately set incorrectly by the doctor, not only because he had grown wary of Juren Zhao by then, but also because of his limited understanding of medical principles.

Every time Ji Rongxia entered the Cooking God System, his pulse would become exceptionally steady.

Realizing that Ji Rongxia wasn’t sick but had simply gone to see the young master, Gu Tangjin breathed a sigh of relief.

“Host, your partner has discovered you’re here, but he’s not worried. Do you want to go back?” the Cooking God System asked.

“Tangjin found out? That’s impressive. I was worried he’d think I was sick,” Ji Rongxia said after a moment’s thought. “Since Tangjin already knows and isn’t worried, I might as well stay and practice a little longer now that I’m here.”

Thanks to his efforts, the completion rate of the braised pork with taro had risen from the low thirties to the high fifties—truly cause for celebration.

“This dish is too complicated. The flavor of the spices after steaming is quite different from when they’re stir-fried. I’m not very familiar with that. I’m better at seasoning stir-fried dishes,” Ji Rongxia said, rubbing his chin as he thought it over.

He wasn’t the type to charge ahead blindly; when faced with a difficult problem, he instinctively paused to think.

“Master, since you’ve assigned so many long-term tasks, can I actually start more than one at a time?” Ji Rongxia suggested.

“Give me a small knife skills task to change things up a bit.”

The Cooking God System flashed: “The Host has figured it out, hasn’t he? Yes, Host, you can have up to ten tasks active at the same time. I’ll pick out a simple one for you.”

【Host has selected the Basic Skills Module.】

【Ding! Basic Skills Module Beginner Quest: Slicing Chinese Yam. (Includes instructional video)】

【Task Requirement: Please cut the yams into small pieces.】

【Mission Reward: Ten bundles of premium yams.】

“Cutting yams into chunks?” Ji Rongxia’s eyes lit up the moment he saw this task. Cutting yams isn’t difficult to begin with, and it’s just cutting them into chunks—not even slicing them.

It had been a long time since he’d come across such a simple task.

“Bring it on, bring it on,” Ji Rongxia said enthusiastically.

The items on the stove changed, replaced by all sorts of yams.

Some were long and slender, others round and plump…

The skins had already been peeled.

The pale, white flesh was exposed, looking crystal-clear and adorable.

Ji Rongxia picked out the one that looked the roundest and cutest, slicing it into chunks with a few swift strokes.

【Ding. A plate of unevenly cut, irregularly sized yam chunks.】

Ji Rongxia: “……”

Cooking God System: “……” 

That’s a very familiar reaction.

Ji Rongxia shrugged. Alright, even simple tasks shouldn’t be taken lightly!!!

Meanwhile, Gu Tangjin was keeping watch while he read.

He wasn’t reading a farming manual, but a volume of poetry.

Gu Tangjin’s words to reassure Ji Rongxia weren’t empty promises. To him, where couldn’t he read? Farming didn’t stop him from reading and writing—it just made things a bit harder.

When he was young, he used to get so seasick he’d throw up—all because he couldn’t resist reading even on a boat. Nowadays, though he still felt a bit queasy, he no longer threw up.

Because of that faint, lingering sensation of seasickness—and with Xia-ger not around—Gu Tangjin kept his brow slightly furrowed. Finally, he put down his book, got up to pour himself some water, and took a pinch of seasickness powder, pouring it into his mouth.

Ji Rongxia suddenly opened his eyes, cheerfully rolling over to sit up. Just as he was about to share his joy at having obtained the yam with Tangjin, he saw Gu Tangjin expressionlessly swallow a packet of medicine.

Fearing that Xia-ger would worry upon seeing him take medicine, Gu Tangjin quickly took a sip of water and swallowed the powder.

“Are you seasick again?” Ji Rongxia quickly stood up and mentally urged the Cooking God System, “Hurry up, give me a few pieces of fructose.”

Since he was going to meet the friend who had helped Tangjin, Ji Rongxia stowed the fructose in the system space as well.

Since he had taken it out of the system space in the first place, putting it back in wouldn’t consume much energy. He figured he might as well give some of the fructose to that friend to try.

In an instant, the Cooking God System effortlessly placed two pieces of fruit candy into Ji Rongxia’s palm.

“Have some candy to settle your stomach.” Ji Rongxia quickly walked over to Gu Tangjin’s side, unwrapped the candy, and popped it into his mouth. Gu Tangjin bowed his head slightly and ate the peach-flavored candy.

“I was reading a bit earlier, and I feel a little dizzy.” The implication in Gu Tangjin’s words was that he wouldn’t feel this way if he hadn’t been reading. Ji Rongxia quickly said, “Then let’s not read anymore. It’s not like we’re missing out on much!”

Sigh, sometimes Gu Tangjin’s excessive diligence really troubled him.

“Alright, let’s not read. Why are you so happy? Did you get something nice today? Didn’t you just tell me you’ve been making braised pork with taro lately, and that it’s been really, really hard? Did you finally succeed this time? And why did you suddenly go to Little Master’s place?” Gu Tangjin pulled Ji Rongxia to sit on the bed and asked.

“The young chef told me that letting me in during the day is a waste of resources—he usually wouldn’t do that. I haven’t perfected the taro-braised pork yet. Today I was given a Chinese yam. Remember how I told you I couldn’t mix that spice blend right away? So I had the young chef give me a simple task instead—chopping Chinese yams into chunks! I nailed it with ease!”

Ji Rongxia said with high spirits, “I feel so capable right now. Making that taro-braised pork is just around the corner!” Gu Tangjin’s lips curved upward, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at Ji Rongxia was full of admiration.

The two began chatting together again.

Ji Rongxia had his own little scheme: by keeping Tangjin occupied with conversation, he wouldn’t be able to read. And if he didn’t read, he wouldn’t get seasick!

He was so clever!

The Cooking God System waited a moment, confirming that the host likely had no further requests, and quickly returned to its semi-dormant state. The Cooking God System made it clear through its actions that it absolutely refused to eat any “dog food”!

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

It was summer, and night fell late; when the boat reached the prefectural city’s pier, a faint glow of sunlight still lingered on the horizon. Ji Rongxia stepped off the boat and sighed,

“There’s nothing like the feeling of solid ground underfoot!”

Gu Tangjin ruffled Ji Rongxia’s hair. “Yes, even as a child, I greatly admired Captain Feng and his crew. They have to live on the boat every day—only in winter, when the river freezes over, can they stay safely in the village.”

“It’s hard-earned money.”

“I don’t think I could handle it,” Ji Rongxia shook his head.

Although he didn’t get seasick, he could never fully relax on the boat; he was constantly on edge, feeling anything but grounded.

However, traveling by boat was truly fast. A journey that would take a day and a night by horse-drawn carriage had now brought them to the outskirts of the prefectural capital in just a single day.

The city of Lejin Prefecture had been established long before the Great Yan Dynasty.

Completed in the early years of the previous dynasty and having endured two reigns, the site was easy to defend but difficult to attack, with fertile soil. It had not suffered the ravages of war during the waning years of the previous dynasty, and after the current dynasty was established, the walls were completely rebuilt. They stood tall and sturdy, so high that Ji Rongxia had to tilt his head back to see them clearly.

Ji Rongxia now regretted his lack of education; he simply couldn’t find the words to describe his astonishment!

“Wow,” Ji Rongxia let out a short exclamation, offering a very direct compliment. “So many gates and people! And such high walls!!!”

Gu Tangjin：“……”

He couldn’t help but laugh out loud. With a smile in his voice, he said, “Come on, let’s go in through the north gate. That side gate is narrow—carts can’t pass through it—so most of the people who use it are farmers and city residents.”

The wide city gates were certainly impressive, but that meant many carriages passed through them. Moreover, outsiders visiting the prefectural city usually entered through the main gates, resulting in a constant stream of people and livestock coming and going.

Ordinary commoners living in the prefectural city, on the other hand, tended to avoid those grand gates, preferring to use the smaller ones—it saved them a lot of trouble. Ji Rongxia obediently let Gu Tangjin take his hand and lead him forward.

After winding their way through the streets, they actually arrived at a somewhat hidden side gate.

The gate was barely taller than a person; judging by Gu Tangjin’s height, it was only about a palm’s length above his head.

The gate was barely wide enough for two people to pass through side by side, and there was only a single gatekeeper on duty—a pitiful sight compared to the several clerks and guards stationed at the main gate.

The clerk lazily checked the people coming and going. Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin each paid five wen as the entrance fee, and they entered the city with ease. Ji Rongxia gently shook Gu Tangjin’s hand: “We got in this easily? I thought it would be hard to get into such a big city.”

“I know this north gate isn’t very busy. Besides, it’s almost dark, and it’s almost time for the shift change, so the guards are bound to be a bit lax,” Gu Tangjin explained patiently.

It’s also because the Great Yan Dynasty is at peace these days; otherwise, this wouldn’t be possible.

As the two walked through the streets of the provincial capital, they saw many street vendors near the city gate, selling mostly vegetables and everyday trinkets. Seeing this, Ji Rongxia felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.

The people of the provincial capital had to eat and make a living too; after all, he planned to open a restaurant here himself someday.

With this thought, the slight unease in Ji Rongxia’s heart vanished instantly. He walked with a spring in his step, showing none of the stiffness one might expect upon first entering the provincial capital.

Gu Tangjin leaned close to Ji Rongxia’s ear and said, “If we’d entered through the main gate, we’d have run into people soliciting guests for inns. There are far fewer of those types around here.”

Since this area was mostly frequented by local residents, there were few travelers looking for lodging. The shopkeepers here were shrewd; very few of them tried to solicit customers in this spot.

“Then… where are we going to stay?” Ji Rongxia only then remembered to ask where they would be staying tonight.

Gu Tangjin smiled, took Ji Rongxia by the hand, and led him through a series of twists and turns into a narrow alley.

This alley was considerably wider than Jiutang Alley, where the Ji family lived. There were a few playful children on the street, along with fulangs and women sitting out in the evening breeze doing needlework; the scene looked quite cheerful.

When they entered, the fulangs and women sitting together cast furtive glances their way.

“This doesn’t look like a place where people run inns, does it?” Ji Rongxia asked Gu Tangjin quietly, glancing around curiously.

Gu Tangjin smiled. “The entire Liangyan Alley is dedicated to the rental business. People partition off a few rooms in their own homes to rent to those who need a place to stay for a few days. It’s not considered a business, so if officials come to inspect, they can simply say relatives are visiting the prefectural city for a short stay. Only those familiar with the prefectural city know about it. It’s a bit pricey, though. A regular inn charges around forty wen per night, while here it’s fifty or sixty wen, but it’s quieter, and the rooms are more spacious.”

“The people of the provincial capital really are resourceful—they’ve even come up with a way to make money like this,” Ji Rongxia marveled. “With so many people coming and going here, what if we run into thieves or pimps?”

Gu Tangjin smiled. “Didn’t I tell you? The whole alley is full of people in this line of work. The moment anyone comes in, they’re watching. Even pickpockets wouldn’t dare enter this alley lightly. Do you think a whole alleyful of people wouldn’t notice you? If you get caught, a crowd will rush over and beat you to death. Even if you end up at the prefectural office, do you really think they’d arrest a whole group of people?”

“Back when I was studying in the prefectural city, there really was a pimp who showed up here out of nowhere, not knowing his place, and he got beaten to death.”

Ji Rongxia blinked in surprise. So that’s how it is.

“So the people in this alley are as close as clan members in a village? They look out for each other and make a living together—that’s much better than most clan members.” Ji Rongxia said after thinking for a moment.

Gu Tangjin thought the analogy was spot-on: “Pretty much.”

Every household here rents out one or two rooms; the better ones even have a small courtyard. If you ask anyone for information, even if that family doesn’t have a spare room, they can still refer you to someone else—it’s very convenient.

Gu Tangjin approached a kindly-looking Fulang and asked, “Old man, do you have any spare rooms?”

“I don’t have any myself, but Xiao Qin is here—business as usual.” Seeing how familiar Gu Tangjin was with the place, the Fulang didn’t suspect him of having any ulterior motives. He quickly called over the woman weaving straw sandals nearby, “Their place is spacious, though a bit pricey—fifty-six wen a day.”

Mrs. Qin came trotting over. “Looking for a place to stay? This way, follow me. How long will you be staying? My room is spotless. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied once you see it.”

Mrs. Qin wasn’t exaggerating. The room she’d partitioned off was quite spacious—much larger than the rooms at the inn. It even had its own outhouse, and since it was separated from the owners’ courtyard by a row of hedges, it was fairly secluded.

Mrs. Qin said briskly, “There’s also a water jar in this room. I just had my son fill it up with water, so feel free to use it…”

“We’ll be staying for three days. I know your rules here—I’ll pay half the silver up front.” Seeing that Ji Rongxia was quite pleased with the place, Gu Tangjin took out his purse and counted out eighty-four wen.

Mrs. Qin accepted it with a smile and handed them a wooden tag. “Keep this. It shows you’re staying in our alley. Just return it to me when you’re ready to leave.”

“This is truly exquisitely crafted.” Ji Rongxia noticed it was a wooden token engraved with the three characters “Liangyan Alley.”

The calligraphy was graceful and flowing, and the carving was fine—though it looked somewhat familiar.

As soon as Gu Tangjin saw those three characters, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Thank you.” 

Mrs. Qin didn’t linger; once everything was settled, she took her leave.

“Tangjin, what are you smiling about? Those characters look kind of familiar,” Ji Rongxia asked curiously.

“I wrote that. Originally, we used a lock on this door and gave the tenants a key. Who knew those thieves would collude to get the key and make a duplicate, planning to come back and steal things? They ended up getting caught. Another time, a thief didn’t steal anything else—he just stole the lock. After all, the lock is made of iron; it’s worth quite a bit if sold.” 

After a few incidents like that, they switched all the doors here to latches. They no longer give tenants locks or keys, and they even had someone write three characters that are hard to imitate, carved them onto a wooden tag, and use that as proof of occupancy.”

Ji Rongxia’s mouth twitched. “Those thieves sure are quick-witted. It would be so much better if they put that kind of ingenuity to good use.”

After speaking, Ji Rongxia realized he’d strayed from the topic. He quickly asked, “So someone commissioned you to write those three characters? But the people here don’t seem to know you.”

“It was three or four years ago. I was running a calligraphy stall at the time, and someone came specifically to commission those three characters, so I wrote them for them. Afterward, I asked my classmate about this alley. Through our conversation, I learned that this place was in the business of renting out rooms. It was my classmate who told me about the thieves as well.”

He lived in the academy and didn’t need to stay at an inn, so logically, he shouldn’t have known about this place. But after all this commotion, it would have been hard not to find out.

“So that’s how it is,” Ji Rongxia said, looking thoroughly satisfied. “I was wondering how you knew so much.”

“I’ve been here a while, so I’ve picked up on things over time. Are you tired? Want to go check out the night market?” Gu Tangjin asked.

“Let’s go, let’s go! Of course, I want to go. Are you tired, Tangjin?” Ji Rongxia wasn’t tired at all. After sitting on a boat for so long, he’d been itching to get out and move around. He was usually so busy that suddenly having free time felt rather strange.

Gu Tangjin: “I’m not tired either. Come on, I’ll take you to the night market.”

Without even setting down the wicker baskets, the two of them simply slung them over their shoulders and stepped out of the room.

The provincial capital, like the county seat, was divided into four quarters: east, south, west, and north. Whether in the eastern or western parts of the city, each had its own night market—and often more than one. They were now heading to the night market closest to them.

It was just getting dark, and they could still see people hanging lanterns and torches on the surrounding trees and the eaves of houses lining the streets. A single lantern or torch cast only a faint glow, but a cluster of lanterns was a different story.

Ji Rongxia looked at the brightly lit street, feeling both amazed and a little concerned. He quietly asked Gu Tangjin, “There’s no risk of a fire breaking out here, is there?”

“With so many people around, any fire would be spotted immediately. The shopkeepers have water stations set up everywhere, so they can put out any small fires themselves. And if it really does break out, there are firemen on night watch all around the night market,” Gu Tangjin explained earnestly. “Generally speaking, it’s very hard for a fire to actually start here.”

Ji Rongxia was relieved. “Oh, that’s good, that’s good. Those firefighting soldiers really have it tough.” Working through the night instead of sleeping—but if they get paid for it, then it’s worth it!

They had arrived early; many vendors were already setting up tents and stalls, while others simply spread a cloth on the ground and laid out their wares.

“Do you have to pay to set up a stall here?” Ji Rongxia tugged at Gu Tangjin’s sleeve and asked.

Gu Tangjin: “Yes, you have to pay the officials. If you have enough money, you can rent a permanent spot. If you don’t have enough or are only setting up for a few days, you pay a daily fee based on the size of your stall.”

“I see.” Ji Rongxia looked around and suddenly noticed that there were even vendors selling wild vegetables here! An old woman had spread out a rattan mat in front of her, and on it lay all sorts of wild vegetables!

At first glance, it was a sea of green, with soil still clinging to the roots—they looked incredibly fresh, likely wild greens dug up that very day.

【Ding! Uncollected vegetables detected. Please proceed to collect them, Host.】

“Host, it’s this very stall right in front of you!” the Cooking God System reminded him.

Ji Rongxia exclaimed in surprise, “Huh? You’re still short on wild vegetables?”

Cooking God System：“……”