Fearing indigestion from eating too much at night, the two ate only a couple of bites of the braised pork with taro before stopping. The next morning, they woke up early, washed up, and set out with a thank-you gift.

Ji Rongxia was a little nervous: “Shouldn’t we let them know in advance? Wouldn’t it be a bit rude to just show up unannounced?”

If it weren’t for someone helping Tangjin, he might have ended up with a permanent limp, so Ji Rongxia wanted to properly thank this friend of Tangjin’s.

Gu Tangjin replied, “There’s no need for that. Tang Boyu’s family runs a clinic. They see patients every day, so when I go there, I can have him check how my leg is healing.”

“They run a clinic? Tangjin, how do you know him?” Ji Rongxia thought to himself, No wonder—he was able to find such a good doctor because he’s a doctor himself!

Gu Tangjin also felt quite fortunate. “His family sent him to Juren Zhao’s academy to study for two years. He couldn’t stand it—he was fed up with writing essays and was far more interested in treating patients. His parents had only wanted him to try his hand at studying; if it didn’t work out, he’d still gain some knowledge, and it would be easier for him to study medicine upon returning. So they didn’t force him to continue. A few years back, he hadn’t made much of a name for himself yet; he could only follow the senior doctor to dispense medicine, working as a young assistant. I wonder how he’s doing now.”

He hadn’t been to the provincial capital these past two years—partly to avoid Mr. Zhao, and partly because his mobility was indeed limited at first, making long journeys difficult. If all went well, Tang Boyu should be able to see patients on his own by now.

The Tang Family Clinic was located on the western side of the provincial capital; it took the two of them a little less than half an hour to reach it.

By then, most of the shops along the street were open. The Tang Family Clinic had a sign hanging outside bearing the characters “Xingchun Hall.” It was a two-story wooden building that looked considerably more spacious than their own restaurant.

When they arrived, there was only a young man inside, accompanied by two children of seven or eight, bustling about as they sorted through medicinal herbs.

The youth was none other than Tang Boyu. Just as he turned to go into the courtyard to fetch the missing herbs from the cabinet at the front, he spotted Gu Tangjin and Ji Rongxia standing at the entrance.

He paused in his tracks, squinting in confusion as he took a few steps forward, afraid he might be mistaken.

“Dr. Tang looks so young,” Ji Rongxia said, tugging at Gu Tangjin’s sleeve.

As a close friend of Tangjin, Ji Rongxia had assumed he must be around nineteen or twenty—at least about the same age as Gu Tangjin—but the young man standing before him looked no older than sixteen. If he did the math, that meant he had been only thirteen or fourteen just two years ago.

“Brother Tang, how have you been lately?” Gu Tangjin saw that he hadn’t changed much—he hadn’t even grown much taller and still looked like a little runt—and a sense of disorientation welled up inside him, as if he’d been transported back two years.

Of course, the difference was that now he had a Fulang!!! What a joyous occasion!

At this thought, the smile on Gu Tangjin’s face grew even brighter.

“Hey, Brother Gu, I thought you’d never come to the capital in this lifetime. Who’s this?” Tang Boyu hurried out, slapping Gu Tangjin’s shoulder hard, only then realizing there was someone else beside him.

“This is my Fulang. You can just call him Gu Fulang,” Gu Tangjin said with great reserve. Yet the pride on his face was impossible to hide.

Tang Boyu found it all quite curious; he’d never seen Brother Gu like this before. It really is different when you’ve taken a Fulang, isn’t it!!!

“Don’t listen to him, Doctor Tang. Just call me Xia-ger,” Ji Rongxia said with a chuckle.

“Alright, Xia-ger, let’s not talk about this out here. Come on in. I’ll have my apprentices take care of things for now; let’s head to the back yard.” Tang Boyu warmly invited the two of them in and instructed the two young apprentices to tidy up the medicinal herbs.

The Tang family’s backyard was spacious, with all kinds of medicinal herbs laid out to dry.

Three older apprentices were processing herbs in the courtyard, and through the window, one could faintly see two women bustling about in the kitchen. However, the door was closed tight as if they didn’t want anyone to see exactly what they were doing.

“My mother and sister-in-law are preparing the herbs. They’re hardworking—they’re up before I am.”

“My father and grandfather aren’t up yet. Last night, my grandfather and father took in a critically injured patient and were busy for a long time before they went to sleep. My younger brother is still keeping watch over the patient, and my older brother has gone to the countryside to gather herbs. Now, every morning, it’s up to me to get things done. Ah, what can I do? It’s just that I’m so capable now.” As he spoke, Tang Boyu couldn’t help but puff out his chest.

Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin looked at the boyishly cheerful Tang Boyu and couldn’t help but smile. It was Ji Rongxia’s first time meeting Gu Tangjin’s close friend, and the slight unease he’d felt had vanished. To make it easier to talk, Tang Boyu led them into his room.

“Let me take a look at your leg—I just saw you limping when you walked in. Xia-ger, you sit down and rest for a moment; I’ll examine Brother Gu’s leg.” As soon as they entered the room, Tang Boyu hurriedly said.

He hadn’t felt comfortable asking about this outside; he could only ask once the door was closed. Could it be that Old Peng hadn’t set the leg properly?

“I’m faking it. Out there, I’m just a cripple. My fulang usually covers for me, and now you’re another person who knows.” Gu Tangjin said and then strode forward a few steps.

It looked nothing like the limping he’d been doing just moments ago.

Tang Boyu was reassured, but he still took Gu Tangjin’s pulse and carefully examined his injured left leg. Seeing this, Ji Rongxia quietly asked the system, “Little Master, can yams also be used as medicine?”

He wasn’t entirely sure and needed to check.

Cooking God System: “Yes, Host. Yam has the effects of tonifying qi, nourishing yin, and strengthening the spleen, lungs, and kidneys. If you intend to give yams as a gift, please note that yam typically ripens in the fall. Although the temperature has dropped slightly in recent days, it is still summer. Therefore, if you plan to give it and he asks where the yam came from, remember to say you picked it from the mountains—it’s colder at higher altitudes.”

“Wow! Little Chef, you’re getting more and more thoughtful. You’ve even learned to predict things. That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Ji Rongxia hadn’t actually had that idea, but seeing how much Tang Boyu cared about Tangjin, he wanted to give him a few more things.

No sooner had Ji Rongxia finished speaking than he felt his backpack grow a little heavier.

“The yam has been placed in your backpack, Host. Please check it.” The Cooking God System was always so reliable.

Ji Rongxia curved the corners of his mouth and said, “I knew the little chef was no ordinary kid—he can always think of everything before I do.”

The Cooking God System was easily pleased with a little flattery. Seeing that Ji Rongxia had nothing else to do, it returned to its semi-dormant state.

“You’ve recovered quite well,” Tang Boyu couldn’t help but remark after examining Gu Tangjin’s leg. “Master Peng’s skills are truly exceptional. When I saw your leg back then, I thought even my grandfather wouldn’t have been able to set it properly. Thankfully, Master Peng was willing to help and keep it confidential because of your young age and pitiful condition—otherwise, there really would have been no solution.”

Whenever this topic came up, a look of relief would appear on Tang Boyu’s face, which still bore traces of baby fat.

“Thanks to you, we were actually thinking of sneaking over to thank Old Doctor Peng,” said Ji Rongxia.

“Ah, that won’t work,” Tang Boyu waved his hand. “Old Doctor Peng and his son have gone to the capital to enjoy their lives; they’re not in the provincial capital. His son was originally just a thousand-house commander, but after earning military merits the year before last, he was promoted to a minor official and transferred directly to the capital—no more eating sand on the frontier. So he brought his old man to live with him. We won’t be able to see Old Doctor Peng now. That’s why I said you’re lucky; if this had happened a year later, I wouldn’t have been able to find anyone to help you.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Tangjin also marveled at his own good fortune and was glad that Old Peng could go to the capital to enjoy his twilight years: “Old Doctor Peng being able to go to the capital with his son’s family to spend his retirement—that’s a good thing no matter how you look at it.”

Tang Boyu: “That’s for sure. The capital… I’ve never been there, so I have no idea what it’s like.”

Ji Rongxia thought to himself that he didn’t know what the capital was like either, but he was genuinely happy for Doctor Peng. Having heard that he was a doctor who had served in the military, he imagined his life hadn’t been easy during the years of widespread warfare. Now that he could be with his children and grandchildren, that was naturally the best outcome.

“Well then, we won’t be going. We’ve given you all the gifts we prepared—please don’t look down on them; they’re just some food and such.” Ji Rongxia opened the wicker basket and took out the items one by one.

“Great, great. I won’t stand on ceremony with Brother Gu and Xia-ger. I heard from Brother Gu that your family runs a restaurant, so I’m sure you have plenty of delicious food.” Tang Boyu didn’t refuse and replied naturally.

However, the very first item Ji Rongxia pulled out was a handful of yams, which took Tang Boyu by surprise.

Tang Boyu quickly said, “Yam is a rare delicacy this time of year. Why are you giving this to me? Why don’t I pay you the price a herbal shop would pay for medicinal herbs?”

“You just agreed not to refuse, so you can’t go back on your word now,” Gu Tangjin said with a smile.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Ji Rongxia was particularly tender. They hadn’t mentioned bringing yams earlier—it must have been Xia-ger who secretly added it.

“Oh dear, I’ve let the cat out of the bag.” Tang Boyu hadn’t expected Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin to bring yams.

“This is taro paste cake, these are taro paste glutinous rice balls, and we also made our own crumbly pancakes, braised pork, and taro-braised pork belly. They’re all just simple treats—just a little something for you to try.”

After listening to the list, Tang Boyu realized he hadn’t tried a single one of them.

It was truly strange. He was a food lover who had eaten at every restaurant, big and small, in the provincial capital—could there really be something he hadn’t tried yet?

“Could I have a couple of bites right now?” Tang Boyu licked his lips and said, looking a bit sheepish.

It seemed a bit rude to just dig into a thank-you gift a guest had brought.

“I brought this over specifically so you could try Xia-ger’s cooking. Go ahead and eat,” Gu Tangjin said, half-laughing, half-exasperated. Tang Boyu scampered out to fetch a pair of chopsticks and a small empty bowl.

And two cups of tea.

The tea had been brewed by his mother, who insisted that guests couldn’t be welcomed without at least a cup of tea.

Tang Boyu set the tea in front of them and picked up a piece of taro-braised pork for himself. The pork was still steaming hot, served in a bamboo tube. The dish no longer looked like individual pieces of taro and pork, but the flavor remained the same.

Tang Boyu fell in love with the taste of the taro at first bite—it was rich, creamy, and sweet.

“Delicious! Is this really taro? Can taro really taste this good?” Tang Boyu ate so enthusiastically that he began to doubt his own judgment.

Gu Tangjin replied calmly, “We bought this taro from a merchant. I heard it’s from the south and is a bit larger. We’re planning to grow some ourselves. If you like it, we’ll send you some once we’ve successfully cultivated it.”

“Sure. Wait, didn’t you say you didn’t have any farmland? How would you grow them?” Tang Boyu asked curiously as he continued eating.

Gu Tangjin continued, “We’ve just bought two plots of land. I’ve become quite interested in farming lately and have bought all sorts of unusual seeds. I can’t take the imperial exams for the time being. I’ll wait a few years until Candidate Zhao has completely forgotten about me, then I’ll go take the exams. Hopefully I’ll pass on the first try—otherwise, there’ll be trouble. In the meantime, I plan to focus on farming; the vegetables we grow will be perfect for supplying the restaurant.”

“Farming, huh?” Tang Boyu didn’t stop eating; his cheeks were plump with food as his almond-shaped eyes scanned Gu Tangjin from head to toe, his gaze brimming with skepticism. Tang Boyu knew Gu Tangjin was brilliant at reading and writing, but when it came to farming, he found it hard to believe.

It looked like he wouldn’t be getting to eat this taro after all.

With that thought in mind, Tang Boyu began to savor his meal even more.

“Gu Tangjin is quite skilled at farming, too. We’re actually planning to buy some high-quality seeds while we’re in the provincial capital this time.” After quietly praising Gu Tangjin, Ji Rongxia made sure to mention their intention to buy seeds to Tang Boyu. By dropping a few hints to Gu Tangjin’s friends in advance, everyone would be aware of the matter in the future, which would save a lot of trouble.

Tang Boyu nodded repeatedly. Brother Gu’s Fulang really looked out for him. No wonder Brother Gu looked so healthy—it turned out he was living a comfortable life. How could his complexion not be good?

“If you want to buy high-quality seeds, you can go to the grain shop on Heyun Street. I’ve heard they’re fairly honest in their dealings.” Tang Boyu didn’t know much about it either, so after thinking for a long time, that was the only well-reputed shop he could come up with.

“Really? Then we’ll definitely go.” Ji Rongxia was quite enthusiastic. This made Tang Boyu feel a bit embarrassed.

He buried his head and took a bite of the crumbly pancake.

The crumbly pancake was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just like it had been freshly baked. He had no idea how they’d managed to bring it all the way here—could it be that they’d found a place to bake it fresh after arriving in the provincial capital?!

The food might not be expensive, but the thought behind it was truly heartfelt.

Tang Boyu felt that befriending Gu Tangjin had been well worth it. He was also incredibly lucky to have married Xia-ger, a Fulang with such culinary skills—he’d never go without good food from now on.

Gu Tangjin: “By the way, we’d like to buy some angelica root, dried tangerine peel, cloves, and Chinese angelica at the herbal shop…” Gu Tangjin rattled off a long list of ingredients.

“So you’re planning to make your own spice blends? I’ll get them for you in a moment—I guarantee they’ll be affordable, good value, and high quality.” As soon as he heard this, Tang Boyu knew they intended to use the herbs for seasoning. His family ran both a clinic and a pharmacy, and it wasn’t uncommon for chefs to come in to buy such items.

Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin knew he was busy, so they didn’t linger. After purchasing their items and agreeing to keep in touch via letters, they took their leave.

As they were about to leave, Tang Boyu asked hesitantly, “Do you want to go see Candidate Zhao? After all, he is your master in name.”

“I’m just accompanying my fulang to the provincial capital to buy a few things. As for me, a good-for-nothing disciple, I’ll just have to make do with the gifts I send during festivals.”

If Gu Tangjin had come alone, he might have paid a visit to Candidate Zhao, but since he was accompanied by Xia-ger this time, he had no desire to see him.

Tang Boyu said, “You’re right. From now on, don’t bother asking others to deliver things—it’s too much trouble. Just have them send the items to me, and I’ll take them to him myself when I have the chance. After all, I’m his student, so it’s convenient for me to visit his residence.”

“That won’t do. You’re a doctor, and he’s naturally suspicious. It wouldn’t be good if he guessed anything.” Gu Tangjin said.

Tang Boyu thought it over and realized he had a point, so he didn’t press the matter and saw the two of them out.

Once they had left, Tang Boyu boiled the glutinous rice balls and called everyone over to enjoy the treat.

Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin had brought quite a lot of food; even with his large family and the apprentice herbalists, they couldn’t finish it all. Even the seriously injured man, after waking up, was given a bowl of hot glutinous rice balls.

To outsiders, Tang Boyu simply said the food had been sent by a distant friend; he didn’t mention Gu Tangjin’s name, glossing over the matter to prevent anyone from passing on the news to Candidate Zhao.

However, after suffering this public humiliation, Juren Zhao rarely left the academy. He had a bad temper, and no one was eager to gossip in his presence. Tang Boyu’s caution might have been unnecessary, but it never hurt to be careful.

These glutinous rice balls, filled with sugar and light cream, were a delight to eat. As the injured man was leaving today, he pestered them until they gave him a small bag to take with him. It made Tang Boyu feel as though they were starting to look less like a medical clinic.

Meanwhile, Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin spent the following days strolling through the city and earnestly searching for all sorts of strange and exotic seeds and grains.

If they were going to put on a show, they had to go all out—otherwise, it would just look too fake.

They also bought three bolts of fine cotton fabric, planning to make a new set of clothes for the parents of both families once they returned home.

Ji Rongxia bought a very small knife that could be used for peeling and carried on his person. Although there were plenty of knives in the restaurant, whenever he saw a knife that took his fancy, he found it hard to walk away, so he ended up buying it.

The two went to a bookstore, where Gu Tangjin picked out a few books.

That evening, as usual, Ji Rongxia entered the system space to complete his tasks.

The Cooking God System hadn’t deceived Ji Rongxia; after mastering braised pork with taro, the tasks became much simpler. He went on to prepare stir-fried Koushui chicken, sweet and sour pork, and oyster sauce spinach.

Although these three dishes weren’t particularly difficult to make—Ji Rongxia even had to simmer the oyster sauce for the oyster sauce Chinese cabbage himself according to the recipe—it’s worth noting that before making this dish, he had no idea what oyster sauce was, or even what an oyster was. But compared to having to mix his own spice blends, it was, at the very least, relatively simple.

At least Ji Rongxia could whip up a dish in less than an hour, and his progress on the task was flying by.

Three days later, with their backpacks full, the two of them took a boat and made their leisurely way back to Qingchi County.

It was just after dusk when they returned. Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin suddenly walked in through the back door, catching Gu Chuncai and Yao Tianlan—who were washing dishes—off guard with surprise.

“Why are you back so soon? Why not stay a few more days?” Yao Tianlan stepped forward to help them take off their wicker baskets.

“We’ve seen enough. To be honest, there isn’t really anything special in the provincial capital. It’s much more comfortable staying at home,” Ji Rongxia said with a smile.

“You’re such a sweet talker. Go wash your faces and rest a bit. Look at you—you’re all sweaty. You must have been on the boat for ages. It can’t have been comfortable.” Yao Tianlan took the wicker baskets from them and placed them on the table in the courtyard, then urged them to wash their faces right away.

The two obediently went to wash their faces and hands.

Xiao Hei and Xiao Huang were circling around Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin’s feet. They’d grown a bit, but they were still plump and round.

“I didn’t expect them to recognize us and not bark at us. They really are good dogs.” Ji Rongxia had washed his hands and couldn’t pet them anymore, so he could only stare intently at the two furballs, satisfying his visual craving.

Gu Chuncai went silently to the kitchen and brought them two bowls of dumpling soup, along with a serving of braised pork head.

Gu Chuncai said, “I happened to buy a pig’s head from Butcher Ye today. I braised it to see how it tasted, and it turned out pretty good. You should try some.”

“I was actually planning to make braised pork head myself, but it takes so long to braise. I didn’t expect Father to beat me to it. I’ll have to give this a proper taste.” After such a long boat ride, Ji Rongxia was genuinely hungry. He picked up a pair of chopsticks and grabbed some shredded pig’s ear, crunching away as he savored its fragrant and refreshing flavor.

Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin finished the dumpling soup.

The two offered to help wash the dishes, but Yao Tianlan waved them off repeatedly, urging them to go back, take a shower, and go to bed.

Ji Rongxia took a shower, and before his hair was even dry, he couldn’t resist rolling around on the bed. “It’s so much more comfortable at home,” he said contentedly. “I didn’t realize our bed was this big—I can roll all over it.”

Gu Tangjin watched him roll around and couldn’t help but smile.

Meanwhile, not far from Wuqu Alley, on Xitai Street, people were moving into a four-courtyard mansion.

Zhu Pengyi and Wu Baoquan didn’t have much to move; they finished the move in just two trips with their ox cart, without even asking for help from the county office.

The Wu Baoquan family all lived together; with so many people, they had to buy a larger residence. This time, apart from his second younger brother’s family—who had to stay behind in Shouwu County to look after the business and couldn’t return—everyone else was moving here.

This place was five streets away from Wuqu Alley—not exactly close—but there simply weren’t any suitable residences in the vicinity of Wuqu Alley.

The property had originally belonged to a merchant family. Since the establishment of the current dynasty, there had been a shift toward prioritizing agriculture, and while merchants faced some suppression, it wasn’t excessive. This particular family had simply mismanaged their business and eventually fallen on hard times, forcing them to forfeit the estate. The real estate agent had thoroughly inspected the place; aside from the house being completely empty, there were no other issues.

“Not bad, not bad. In a few days, I’ll write to my parents and have them all come over,” Wu Baoquan said with satisfaction.

Zhu Pengyi yawned. “Sir, it’s getting late. We should go to bed.”

Although there wasn’t much to move, moving was still hard work. Besides, the master had presided over several cases today, and Zhu Pengyi, his trusted aide, had been running around all day and was already exhausted.

Sometimes Zhu Pengyi even wondered to himself: aren’t these wealthy, portly gentlemen usually the type who can’t move for long before getting tired?

But his master was different. He might be portly, but his spirit was unflagging. Even at his age, he rose early and stayed up late, bustling about all day long—something Zhu Pengyi simply couldn’t keep up with.

Everyone at the magistrate’s office was now thoroughly impressed. Though their master hadn’t launched any grand initiatives like a new official taking office with a flurry of reforms, he had nearly cleared the backlog of official business and cases in recent days.

Though the magistrate is generous—giving extra pay for extra work and occasionally bringing them food—it’s still hard work.

“Right, I’ll go to bed early tonight. Now that I live closer, I’ll have to go check tomorrow to see if the breakfast stalls are up yet. Sigh, it’s been five or six days now—they should be ready by now.” Wu Baoquan rubbed his round belly and sighed.

Ever since he’d tried the pan-fried buns, crumbly pancakes, and meat-stuffed pastries, he’d been thinking about them nonstop.

The pan-fried buns were the most famous. Even with all the trouble the Chai family had caused, people were still making them because the ingredients were better than those at the Chai family’s steamed bun shop, and the prices were lower than what Ji Rongxia charged, so they really did attract quite a few customers.

Wu Baoquan bought some to try, but they just didn’t taste right. The more he couldn’t get his hands on them, the more he craved them.

Zhu Pengyi thought to himself, “Master, you know it’s only been five or six days. They said they wouldn’t open for a whole ten-day period. Aren’t you just wasting your time?”

Never mind. Zhu Pengyi didn’t try to dissuade him—after all, it was a lost cause. He could only wait for his master to be disappointed tomorrow.

“Ah-choo!” Ji Rongxia sneezed. “What’s wrong?” Gu Tangjin leaned in to ask.

“Nothing, I probably just caught a draft. Tangjin, do you think we should set up our stall tomorrow? It’ll still be a while before the rice sprouts. I checked the taro—it’s already sprouted. For the time being, we just need to plant some taro in the fields; it’s not hard work.” Ji Rongxia hadn’t set up a stall in a long time and felt a little uneasy.

All those customers were ones he’d worked so hard to build up! “Hmm, then let’s make less food and more fruit drinks to sell. That way, it’ll be less stressful.” 

Seeing that Ji Rongxia really wanted to do it, Gu Tangjin could only offer a compromise.

Ji Rongxia was satisfied: “Okay, let’s do it that way!”