Yan Xiaoyu’s prediction had been spot on. After the banquet ended, Yan Shaoxuan didn’t even return to the county school; after seeing off his teacher’s family, he stayed right at the Yuye Pavilion. Earlier, he had been so eager to pour out everything on his mind that he could hardly wait, but now that the moment had passed, there was a touch of awkwardness between them whenever they met.

They would exchange a glance only to quickly look away, each afraid that the other might sense the sticky, tangled emotions swirling within them.

Yan Xiaoyu had originally planned to take things slowly, but today Yan Shaoxuan had led him astray, causing him to take a rather bold step. Once his reason returned, he chickened out again.

He was only seventeen—still a minor by any standard—and it was far too early to be discussing marriage.

Especially after Qiuhua found out, her face lit up with anticipation, and she even said that once they were married, she and Yan Xingmao would have a grandchild to look after. That scared Yan Xiaoyu half to death.

“Don’t mention the marriage proposal to Brother Yan. Let’s wait until he marries my elder sister first.”

Yan Shaoxuan was puzzled and a bit displeased. “Why?” He’d already agreed to this ger’s advances—could it be that the ger wasn’t willing to take responsibility?

Yan Xiaoyu looked a bit uncomfortable. “It’s not that. I just think it’s a bit too soon.” 

“How is it too soon?” Yan Shaoxuan’s eyes darkened.

He was supposed to propose as soon as he returned from the provincial exams, but his older brother had already beaten him to it—how could he be so quick?

Yan Xiaoyu felt a little guilty under his intense gaze.

What was going on? Hadn’t he just asked him to put off the marriage talks for a while? The way Yan Erlang was looking at him made him seem like some faithless scoundrel who’d slept with him and then walked away.

Yan Xiaoyu thought for a moment, then softened his voice and coaxed him, “I’m not ready yet. Don’t be in such a hurry.”

Yan Shaoxuan’s ears flushed, and his tone immediately softened: “Alright, I’m not in a hurry.”

He paused for a moment, then added, “Whatever concerns you have, you must tell me. If you’re worried about your parents, we can discuss it together and come up with a thorough plan.”

Yan Xiaoyu wasn’t actually worried about Qiuhua and Yan Xingmao. Given the Yan brothers’ character, they wouldn’t neglect their father and mother-in-law. Besides, Yan Xiaoyu was capable and earned his own money, so he wasn’t afraid his parents would run out of money.

What worried him most was the matter of having children. It was a bit early to bring this up—they had only just begun to confirm their feelings for one another—so Yan Xiaoyu planned to wait until the provincial examinations before bringing it up with Yan Shaoxuan.

Although his guess was wrong, Yan Shaoxuan’s tender and cherishing demeanor still warmed Yan Xiaoyu’s heart, filling him with a sweet, tender feeling. He truly never expected that when Yan Erlang fell in love, he would look like this.

“…” Yan Xiaoyu nodded and gave Yan Shaoxuan a gentle push. “You should go back and get some rest. You have to return to the county school first thing tomorrow morning.”

Yan Shaoxuan rubbed the spot where he’d just touched him, unable to suppress a smile all the way back to his room. Yan Xiaoyu watched his retreating figure, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Look at that tall, straight figure, those broad shoulders, those long legs, that handsome nape of the neck… Such a handsome young man—he’s definitely mine now!

Business at Yuye Pavilion was brisk on the first day, but not so busy that they couldn’t handle it. Yan Xiaoyu and the kitchen staff worked in perfect harmony, even taking turns to rest for a while. By the second day, the number of diners surged dramatically; those who arrived late even had to wait for a table.

As Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaocheng had anticipated, there were enough staff in the front of the house and the kitchen, and with Nian-ger’s free labor, they wouldn’t have to neglect any guests.

They set up a canopy outside, arranged seating, and provided snacks and tea to keep waiting customers comfortable. They also prepared games like the Nine-Ring Puzzle and the Kongming Lock to help pass the time while waiting; those who successfully solved the puzzles were rewarded with a free bowl of chicken and tofu soup.

Yuye Pavilion’s approach was both entertaining and novel, and the diners were quite receptive to it. Even those who had been in a bit of a hurry, upon hearing about this arrangement, stopped demanding to be seated to eat elsewhere.

It just wore the staff out completely.

The staff had to attend to the diners inside while also keeping an eye on the guests waiting outside, which kept them quite busy.

Bu Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaocheng promised that if Yuye Pavilion’s monthly gross profit reached one hundred taels, they would take a 10% cut of the excess to distribute as bonuses to everyone. Every employee in the shop—whether they were household servants or hired help—would receive a share.

The target of 100 taels was not set too high. On the very first day of Yuye Pavilion’s opening, the shop took in 12 taels of silver. After deducting expenses for ingredients and labor, the gross profit should have been five taels. Business was even better today, so the gross profit would be higher.

At this rate, Yuye Pavilion could easily earn two hundred taels a month. They were certain to receive this bonus, and it would be a substantial sum.

A-Xi and A-Cai hadn’t expected that, having already sold themselves into servitude, they would receive a bonus on top of their monthly wages, so they all worked with renewed vigor.

It was a real hardship for Nian-ger.

Nian-ger worked just as hard as everyone else and smiled until his face went numb, but since he had begged and pleaded to stay and help, he wasn’t entitled to any wages or bonuses.

The next day, after the shop closed, Nian-ger quit.

He approached Yan Xiaoyu with a serious expression: “Brother Xiaoyu, I’ve got more important things to attend to. I won’t be working as your assistant anymore.”

“You’ve realized this job isn’t easy, haven’t you? Uncle Liu is coming tomorrow; you can go back with him.” Yan Xiaoyu smiled and tossed him a small piece of silver wrapped in red paper. “You’ve worked hard these past few days. Take this silver and buy yourself some snacks.”

“You even prepared some silver for me?” Nian-ger was both surprised and delighted. Running his fingers over the red paper, he refused Yan Xiaoyu’s offer without looking up. “I’m not going back. I just told you—I’ve got important business to attend to!”

Yan Xiaoyu’s eyebrows shot up. He suddenly stood up and snatched the silver coins back from Nian-ger’s hand.

“Isn’t helping your third brother tend the stall at the town market your real business? What business do you have here? You didn’t even tell your parents you were staying here—they must be worried sick. You’re going back tomorrow!”

“You’re being mean!” Nian-ger muttered under his breath, then looked longingly at the silver coins in Yan Xiaoyu’s hand as he explained, “My older sisters, Daya and Erya, are both helping my third brother at the stall—they don’t need me. Someone from my family will probably come by tomorrow. I’ll just tell them then that I want to stay here, and they can pass the message on to my parents, right?”

Yan Xiaoyu tossed the silver coins back and forth in his hand as he played with them. “So what exactly is your business in the county seat?”

“I’m a matchmaker. My business, naturally, is to bring people together in marriage!” Nian-ger gave a conspiratorial smile. “I can’t tell you the details—I promised the other party I’d keep it confidential.”

Yan Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then slowly turned to look at him. “You’ve hooked up with a customer from my shop—are you playing matchmaker?” Nian-ger turned away, looking guilty. “It wasn’t my idea. They saw I had a knack for it and insisted I help them.” 

“Is that so?”

Yan Xiaoyu wasn’t entirely convinced, but Nian-gerer kept pleading with him for a while.

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to take Nian-ger in, but the county town was a mixed bag of people. Nian-ger was young and reckless; keeping him under his watch was one thing, but letting him leave the Yuye Pavilion to act as a matchmaker elsewhere—if things went wrong, it would be a disaster.

Nian-ger wouldn’t let it go, and Yan Xiaoyu, worn down by his persistence, finally snapped, “Talk to your family tomorrow. If they agree, you can stay.”

Nian-ger cheered and agreed.

Sure enough, the next day, representatives from the Yu family arrived—Niu Fugui came along with Liu Pingshan.

The two arrived early in the morning, unloaded the ingredients, and then offered their congratulations to Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaocheng.

“You’ve used up three or four days’ worth of ingredients in just two days. Business must be booming—congratulations!”

Yan Shaocheng laughed heartily: “It’s going quite well, indeed. I sent word back yesterday asking you to bring some vegetables, but it was all rather rushed. I’m truly sorry to have put you to the trouble of preparing everything overnight.”

“It’s nothing! You’re helping the villagers make a living—we’re all thrilled to have you here. We’d love for you to keep us busy!”

As they exchanged pleasantries, Nian-ger eagerly approached and told his father he wanted to stay here. Niu Fugui was furious. The father and son exchanged a few sharp words, and Nian-ger stormed back into the house, fuming. Niu Fugui was extremely annoyed.

“Day in and day out, he’s driven everyone to the brink of patience. He even says that other people’s lifelong happiness depends on him—I don’t know where he gets that sense of responsibility from. He’s a seventeen-year-old ger, yet he’s never home, spending all his time arranging marriages for others when he hasn’t even settled his own yet…”

Yan Xiaoyu and Liu Pingshan exchanged glances, unsure how to console him.

In the end, it was Yan Shaocheng who spoke up for Nian-ger, finally calming Niu Fugui down.

Niu Fugui kept grumbling, but in the end, he couldn’t go against his son’s wishes. He finally agreed to let Nian-ger stay for three more days, promising to come back for him then.

On the first day, Yan Xiaoyu continued to busy himself with matters at the Yuye Pavilion, while Yan Shaoxuan shuttled daily between the county school and the pavilion. Though he devoted himself to his studies, he never forgot to find time to talk with Yan Xiaoyu.

Nian-ger left early every morning and returned punctually at mealtime. When Yan Xiaoyu asked where he’d been, he wouldn’t say. Yan Shaoxuan assured him he hadn’t gone far and wouldn’t be in any danger, so Yan Xiaoyu let it go.

Business at the Yuye Pavilion peaked again on the third day; without the discount promotions of the previous three days, it had gradually dropped back to the level of the first day. Because without the discounts or free food, they actually made a bit more than on the first day.

Both Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaocheng were very satisfied.

They had already recouped the shop’s rent, and after paying the business tax, they had saved the rest of their initial earnings.

Combined with the silver earned from selling tofu ingredients, even if Yan Shaoxuan were to take the provincial exams next year, let alone the imperial exams, the Yan brothers would no longer have to worry about money. Yan Xiaoyu’s family was also close to recouping the silver they’d spent on building their house.

The three days passed in the blink of an eye, and on the third day, Nian-ger returned to the village.

Just like that, the deserted wonton shop diagonally across from Yueyue Pavilion suddenly closed down and changed hands.