Chapter Bonanza (4/10)

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After Uncle Zhang delivered the message, he had lunch at home. After resting briefly, he was about to leave. Before he went, he looked at Tieniu and said, “Think it over carefully.”

But Zhang Huai didn’t know what exactly he wanted Tieniu to think about. He knew nothing of the Huangfu family in Lujing, but he did know his eldest nephew’s temperament. The fact that his nephew could remember his surname was Huangfu yet had never returned to Lujing clearly showed he didn’t want to have anything to do with that side of the family.

Yet Tieniu’s maternal grandfather had passed away—this was a major event.

“Uncle, I know,” Tieniu nodded.

Zhang Huai said no more. He led the mule, took the water flask Xianling handed him, slung it over his back, and set off for home.

Once Uncle Zhang had left, the couple exchanged a glance. Tieniu walked ahead and said, “We’ll talk about it tonight.”

“Alright.” Tang Xianling went into the kitchen.

He spent the entire afternoon cooking. When the restaurant closed, Tang Xianling splashed some water on his face. A towel was handed to him; he caught it, wiped his face, and mumbled, “I’m not really hungry. I’ll just have some mung bean porridge tonight.”

“You’re having a rough summer—you really need to add some meat dishes,” Huangfu Tieniu said.

His face had been plump in the winter, but as soon as the weather turned hot, he’d lost weight in no time.

Tang Xianling glanced over and said, “Well, since the restaurant’s closed, it’s a good chance to take a break for a while.”

It took a while before Huangfu Tieniu finally gave a soft “Mm-hmm.”

“Will you come with me to Lujing?”

Tang Xianling replied confidently, “Of course! Do you really want to sneak off to Lujing all by yourself?”

“No, I want to go with you,” Huangfu Tieniu said.

Tang Xianling gave a soft “Mm-hmm.” They were husband and husband, the closest of partners, a family. In truth, Tieniu still harbored some resentment toward the Huangfu family in Lujing…

He hated that family, yet he still couldn’t stop thinking about them.

That night, Huangfu Tieniu fanned his husband. In the past, Tang Xianling had found it too hot—Tieniu was like a blazing furnace—so the two didn’t sleep next to each other in the summer. But today, Tang Xianling rolled into Tieniu’s arms. As Tieniu held him, his heart felt a bittersweet pang mixed with a touch of sweetness.

As he fanned him, he said, “My mother still has some personal effects left behind. I’ll go get them this time. Once we’ve cleared things up, this will all be over.”

That was Tieniu’s plan.

Tang Xianling agreed and asked Tieniu if he had ever met his maternal grandfather.

“No, I’ve only heard my mother and grandfather mention him. My maternal grandfather was a junior officer at the border. Grandfather said he was loyal and brave, but Mother said she couldn’t remember her father’s face—it’s been too long since she last saw him.”

Huangfu Tieniu still had some memories of his mother, though they were already very vague; as for his maternal grandfather, he had not a single memory. He didn’t know what his maternal grandfather looked like, what he liked to eat, or whether he enjoyed drinking.

The couple decided to go to Lujing and told their mother the very next day. After that, it was all about the restaurant business.

With the head chef leaving, the restaurant would naturally have to close.

The breakfast shop would continue to operate.

This year, Han Kai had sent over snow cabbage, so throughout the summer, the Cui family—father and son—would have to prepare dried plum vegetables while also running the breakfast shop in the mornings.

First, they posted a notice of temporary closure and informed every regular customer who came to the house.

“Tieniu’s maternal grandfather has passed away, so we have to go back for the funeral,” Tang Xianling explained to their regular customers.

These past few days, the Tang family has been giving away their yogurt, double-skin milk, and bite-sized pastries for free.

Upon hearing this, the customers realized it was indeed a major and urgent matter—no wonder Mr. Tang had to close up shop. How could anyone stop him from returning home to mourn and fulfill his filial duties?

“That’s only right,”

“How long will you be gone?”

“How many days?”

Tang Xianling: “At least a month.”

Customers: !!!

“Why so long?”

When an elderly person passes away, you go back to attend the funeral and keep vigil for seven days—how could it take that long?

“I’m going to Lujing this time,” Tang Xianling said.

A regular customer was taken aback. Lujing? Wasn’t the young boss just a hunter from a village outside Fengyuan City? How did he end up going to Lujing for a funeral?

Tang Xianling had every intention of “spreading the word.” He was afraid the Huangfu family might stir up trouble later, accusing Tieniu of being unfilial—for not returning home after so many years away. He had to strike first and shape public opinion; that was his specialty.

“It’s a long story, but Tieniu was taken in by his father, who adopted him as his son.” As soon as Owner Tang said this, all the diners in the dining hall turned to look at him.

So there really was a hidden story here?

“Tieniu was thirteen at the time. His adoptive father fished him out of the river. His adoptive father’s close friend said that Tieniu was badly injured back then—he looked like he was about to die. Blood was gushing from his head, and he was unconscious. Out of kindness, his adoptive father saved the boy. When Tieniu woke up, he didn’t know a thing—he’d lost all his previous memories.”

Diners: “Huh?”

The diners all put down their chopsticks—this sounded just like a story from a storybook.

“What happened next?” 

“Does the young boss have another background story?” 

“Has the young boss remembered anything yet?” 

“Didn’t you just hear Mr. Tang say that Young Master Tieniu is going to Lujing for a funeral?”

“Going to Lujing for a funeral? So did the young boss remember anything?”

That’s the crux of the matter. Aside from Master Yuan and Advisor Song, only his second sister’s husband, Cui Bo’an, knows the truth about Tieniu’s background and when he regained his memory. But Cui Bo’an is in Cuilin Town—even if he were to shout it from the rooftops, no one would believe an outsider, no matter how loud he shouted—

People are quick to form preconceived notions. Isn’t Mr. Tang just telling the diners the truth here?

Upon hearing the diner’s question, Tang Xianling replied, “After his adoptive father passed away a few years ago, Tieniu vaguely began to recall something. He remembered that his surname was Huangfu, but he couldn’t recall any specifics.”

“A couple of days ago, his foster father’s brother came to our house. Back when his foster father saved Tieniu, he had registered the incident with the Tingjiang Prefecture authorities, leaving a record. Someone from Lujing came looking for him, followed the faintest clues to Uncle Zhang’s place in the village, and sent a message.”

The diners nodded upon hearing this; so that was how it was. Some were curious about the details, but upon closer reflection, they shook their heads. After all, so many years had passed—the young boss was twenty or twenty-one this year. He’d been rescued from drowning at thirteen, and his foster father had reported it to the authorities and registered the incident. It was understandable that the young boss had lost his memory due to his severe injuries, but why hadn’t his family come looking for him back then?

Yet here they were, looking for him now.

Something’s not right, something’s not right.

Someone couldn’t wait to ask, “Does the young boss remember his background?”

“And what’s the situation with Lujing? Is that the young master’s maternal family? What about his father?”

Tang Xianling said, “Ever since Tieniu saw the letter, he’s been having nonstop dreams these past two nights, and bit by bit, he’s been remembering some things about his family.”

“Oh?” Everyone fell silent, leaning in to listen.

Tang Xianling let out a small sigh and said, “His maternal grandfather was a young officer stationed at the border. The letter only said that his maternal grandfather had died in battle and told Tieniu to return to Lujing for the funeral.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

If someone dies in battle, and with the weather this hot, would they really send the body back to Lujing?

Others wondered if, since delivering messages took so long back then, the old man might have passed away during the winter.

Others said, “The young boss’s maternal grandfather was a man of iron will; it’s admirable that he gave his life for his country.”

“If you’re going to Lujing, I suppose it’s a bit late—but you should go. Once the young boss comes to his senses, he’ll have to go back and pay his respects to his parents.”

“Right, right, right.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Xianling looked distressed. He shook his head without saying anything else, which piqued the diners’ curiosity. Some comforted the young boss, Mr. Tang, telling him to take comfort and accept the loss, and then asked, “But is there something troubling you? Feel free to speak up—perhaps we can be of some help.”

“It’s nothing serious,” Tang Xianling said with a sigh.

Huangfu Tieniu wasn’t at the front desk.

In the entire dining hall, everyone knew that if they wanted to learn about this strange incident, they had to ask Mr. Tang.

“…He remembered the past—his mother had died young, and now his maternal grandfather had passed away as well, along with his beloved grandfather. Back then, when he fell overboard, it was because he’d returned home to observe the mourning period for his maternal grandmother,” Tang Xianling said, sighing with a sorrowful expression.

Hearing this, the diners in the dining hall couldn’t help but realize just how pitiful the young owner was—his life had been so full of hardship, and now that he’d finally made it home, all his closest relatives were gone.

Wait a minute—what about the young owner’s father?

His mother had passed away long ago—

“His father is still alive. He doesn’t know what’s been going on at home all these years—whether he has any younger brothers or sisters,” Tang Xianling continued. “Tieniu—cold on the outside but warm-hearted—told me that while he was injured and missing, fortunately his father still had his stepmother and younger sister to keep him company. Otherwise, he would have been an unfilial son.”

Upon hearing this, everyone instantly understood. They had been wondering why they hadn’t looked for the child all those years—it turned out to be because of the stepmother.

“If we go looking for them now, I’m afraid something might happen.”

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t attend the funeral, but there are some suspicions here. Mr. Tang and the young master should be careful if they go back.”

“From what Mr. Tang implied, does the Huangfu family have some kind of distinguished lineage?”

Tang Xianling: “They used to have some. Tieniu said his grandfather was a fifth-rank military officer in his lifetime, but I don’t know about now.”

Upon hearing this, some of the diners looked surprised, while others chuckled and said sincerely, “That’s a relief, that’s a relief.” It was merely a Fifth-Rank lineage—and even then, it was the young boss’s grandfather who had been a Fifth-Rank military officer. Since the young boss’s grandfather had passed away, and Fifth-Rank official positions weren’t hereditary, no one could guess what the current situation might be. But they hoped the family’s status wasn’t too high, for fear that the young boss and Mr. Tang might suffer some disadvantage upon their return.

As the saying goes: Where there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather.

The young boss had been unexpectedly stranded away from home all these years, and the Huangfu family hadn’t come looking for him. Now that they’d sent someone to deliver a message, it likely didn’t bode well. Secondly, they feared that since the young boss was now in the merchant trade—and had previously been a hunter—the strict protocols of high-ranking families might lead to the stepmother using filial piety as a pretext to pressure or nitpick at him and Mr. Tang upon their return.

After three days of Tang Xianling’s explanations, nearly everyone in the shops and restaurants had heard the story.

This was truly a strange affair.

Originally, Brother Tang’s restaurant had a reputation that preceded it, earning him a sort of “monk sweeping the floor” legend—a small eatery nestled in the tiny Baxing District. Don’t let its small, unassuming appearance fool you; this place is brimming with culinary delights. The dishes and pastries they’ve introduced have even inspired other restaurants in the East and West Markets to follow suit.

Take, for example, the chestnut-based pastries, mooncakes, and grilled meat skewers.

That grilled meat place in the West Market has now switched to skewered meat as well, but the flavor falls far short of the Tang family’s.

The final day arrived, and the restaurant closed its doors for a long holiday break.

Tang Xianling instructed his staff, “You’ll still receive your regular monthly base salary. I’ll pay you two months’ worth up front. Just carry on as usual. As for Uncle Cui and Cui Dabao, everything stays the same—my mother will handle your pay.”

Lu Sanniang knew how to bake pastries, but the ones she made on her own weren’t as good as the boss’s—they just weren’t quite right. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t quite get the hang of it.

“As for the employee dormitory, whoever needs to stay there should continue to do so—don’t feel awkward about it. Xiao Mi, if you want to go back to your master, that’s fine too.”

Tang Xianling thought it over carefully; there wasn’t much else to say. He divided up the vegetables and meat his family had bought among everyone—thankfully, it was hot out, so they shopped daily, and there wasn’t much meat or vegetables left over, so nothing would go to waste. Most of the yogurt had already been given away, and once the rest was distributed, everyone could head back to their own homes.

The couple handled everything efficiently.

Over the past few days, Huangfu Tieniu had been visiting the East and West Markets, mainly to inform the merchants who delivered goods—such as the milk shops, coal dealers, and grain stores—that deliveries would be suspended for a month or two.

Jiang Yun hasn’t been idle these past few days either. Knowing that Wu-ger and Tieniu were planning to go to Luijing, she’d been packing their luggage. Wu-ger had originally offered to take her along, but Jiang Yun shook her head and declined.

“You two are going to a funeral, not on a trip. I’ll stay home and look after the house.”

“I’m not afraid. You two go ahead.”

“Come back as soon as you’re done.”

The two nodded.

There wasn’t much sadness at parting; mainly, Jiang Yun knew that the Wu-ger and Tieniu would return. She was just a little worried: “While you’re away, look out for each other. If it gets too hot, don’t push yourselves to keep traveling. Tieniu, keep the money on you, and Wu-ger, stay alert when you sleep at night…”

“Mom, I’ll be on the lookout,” said Tieniu.

Tang Xianling: Right, right, right.

Jiang Yun: …Amused to the point of exasperation. Oh well, as long as one of the couple stays alert, that’s enough.

Early the next morning, as soon as it was light out, the couple got up, tidied up, brushed their teeth, and washed their faces. Jiang Yun made a pot of congee and fried some pancakes—some with vegetables and some plain—and packed a bagful for the two of them.

“The dry pancakes will keep—take them all, just in case you run out of food on the road,” Jiang Yun advised.

Tang Xianling: “Got it, Mom.”

“Make sure you eat and drink well while we’re gone. We’ll be back as soon as we’re done.”

“Don’t miss us too much—just think of us for a little while each day.”

Jiang Yun couldn’t help but smile as she listened to her Wu-ger speak—there was no trace of sadness in her heart.

The hired horse-drawn cart arrived at the gate, and the driver knocked on the door to call someone out. Huangfu Tieniu opened the door and loaded two large bundles of luggage onto the cart. Tang Xianling hugged his mother and patted her on the shoulder. “We’re off now. Take good care of yourself at home.”

“You’re just a kid yourself, and you’re already worrying about me,” Jiang Yun said, though her eyes welled up with tears—she suddenly found it hard to let them go. “Hurry up and go—don’t delay. It’ll get too hot to travel in a little while.”

“I know, Mother.”

“Mom, hurry back.”

Lu Sanniang heard the commotion and came out to see them off as well. The Lu family had baked a whole bag of steamed buns and gave them all to the two of them to take with them. 

Tang Xianling: …

Another bag of steamed buns.

There was also dried meat made by Cui Dabao.

As everyone said their goodbyes, Tang Xianling and Tieniu climbed into the horse-drawn cart, waved, and drove off. “No need to see us off—just go about your business. It’s not like we’re not coming back—”

Tang Xianling thought: This probably doesn’t count as setting up a plot flag.

The coachman drove the cart on, and the clop-clop of the horse’s hooves faded into the distance.

This was Tang Xianling’s third year in the Rong Dynasty, and it was his first time leaving Fengyuan City to go elsewhere—not counting his previous trips back to the village for New Year’s greetings or visits to his eldest sister, as those were all within the vicinity of Fengyuan City.

Huangfu Tieniu had been to Tingjiang Prefecture when he worked as a hunter, so he knew the route. Worried that his husband might get bored on the journey, he spoke softly about the local cuisine of Tingjiang Prefecture.

“…There’s plenty of river seafood. There’s a snack called shrimp cakes, made with small dried shrimp mixed with fermented rice batter. It smells a bit off—almost as if it’s gone bad—but the more you eat, the better it tastes.”

As Tang Xianling listened, his curiosity grew.

“Then let’s go there and try it.”

“The soy milk there is different from what we have in Fengyuan City, too. Over there, they mix soy milk with an egg, and it’s savory—they add a bit of seaweed and dried shrimp.”

Tang Xianling: “Let’s eat!”

Traveling at this time of day was actually quite boring, especially in the summer. Fortunately, the two weren’t in a rush, so they chatted and leaned against each other for a nap—Tang Xianling slept while Tieniu fanned him.

At midday, when it was hottest, they’d rest in the shade of a tree and set off again once the weather had cooled a bit.

Traveling from Fengyuan City to Tingjiang Prefecture, they took their time on the road, covering the distance in five days. Since they were heading south, the landscape was lush and verdant along the way, with abundant vegetation. The roads were well-maintained, and there were few mountains; the terrain was mostly flat, with only occasional undulations in the distance that resembled small ridges.

The scenery was quite lovely.

Tang Xianling said, “Tingjiang Prefecture is a bit closer than Shijing Prefecture.”

“That’s right. This prefecture is accessible by waterway and is a bit more prosperous,” Huangfu Tieniu replied.

But it still couldn’t compare to Fengyuan City.

The two entered the city, settled up with the coachman, and were about to switch to water transport. It was already getting late, so Huangfu Tieniu suggested finding an inn to stay at for a couple of days to rest. Upon hearing this, Tang Xianling readily agreed.

Tieniu wasn’t in a great hurry to return to Lujing.

Although he was returning for the funeral, his maternal grandfather had already passed away.

The two stayed in Tingjiang Prefecture for two days. They took a bath—there were plenty of public bathhouses and small bathing establishments in the area—and after bathing, they got their hair trimmed and paid someone to starch and wash their clothes. Since it was hot, by noon the next day, the woman who had washed their clothes had already delivered them to the inn.

They tried the shrimp cakes that Tieniu had mentioned. They did indeed smell a bit foul, with a tangy, slightly fermented aroma, but the taste was delightful—the texture was soft, and the flavor was bold, with hints of shrimp, saltiness, and sourness.

The salty drink made with soy milk and beaten eggs was also quite good.

They also had rice balls here, stuffed with pickled mustard greens and diced seafood—dried fish, shrimp, scallops, and the like. The pieces might not have looked very appealing, being rather crumbly, but they tasted delicious when wrapped inside the rice balls.

The rice balls are about the size of a fist, and cost seven wen each.

Tang Xianling had eaten about half and was nearly full, as he’d ordered plenty of snacks. Huangfu Tieniu then took the remaining half and began eating, polishing off everything his husband didn’t like or had left behind.

After eating and drinking for two days in Tingjiang Prefecture, they took a carriage to the ferry landing and paid to board a boat.

“Once we reach Lushui, we can head straight to Lujing. If we don’t stop along the way, the journey will be quick—we’ll see the Spring Wind Ferry before the end of the month,” said a passenger on board.

The ship was large, with two decks. Tang Xianling and Tieniu had gone with the flow the whole way, keeping a low profile regarding where they stayed and ate. The two of them had booked a cabin on the lower deck. The rooms on board were tiny, with just enough space for a bed; they had to pay extra for meals and personal hygiene facilities, though the ship provided food and fresh water.

Every day, passengers would buy some food and drink and eat it on the deck outside their cabins—except at noon, when the sun was at its strongest.

It was now evening, and the sky was growing dark.

Tieniu had bought today’s meal—a bowl of mixed-grain rice and a bowl of braised pork with vegetables—and was carrying a copper teapot by the handle. Tang Xianling was occupying the dining table, but upon seeing this, he stood up and took the items from Tieniu’s hands.

“The kitchen is serving iced mung bean soup today. I bought a pot—there’s some rice in it, so drink plenty,” Tieniu said.

His husband never had much of an appetite in the summer to begin with, and after getting on the boat, he’d been feeling queasy and had even thrown up a few times over the past two days, so he had even less of an appetite for food and could only manage to drink a little.

“Sure!” Tang Xianling looked much more energetic than he had the previous two days—he’d been completely listless then.

Huangfu Tieniu put down the meal and went back to his room to fetch a cup.

The couple sat down to eat. Huangfu Tieniu served his husband, picking out the salted pork. It was hot, and his husband didn’t like the salted pork cooked here—he said it was so salty that you could taste the gamey flavor of the pork, which must mean it hadn’t been properly prepared.

At the same time, he picked out the better-looking vegetables—those that looked crisp and fresh, not yellowed—and placed them in his husband’s bowl.

“Don’t worry so much about me—I’m not really hungry,” Tang Xianling said as Tieniu served him rice.

Huangfu Tieniu nodded in agreement and continued serving. “It’s hot out. Have a couple of bites of the vegetable dishes with some mixed-grain rice—I think the mixed-grain rice turned out pretty well today.”

Hearing Tieniu say this, Tang Xianling had no choice but to force himself to eat a few more bites—he couldn’t very well drink without eating a single bite, or Tieniu would worry about him. That said, he drank some mung bean soup before eating, so it wouldn’t lose its chill!

But…

The iced mung bean soup was lukewarm. Tang Xianling took a sip, then lifted the lid to look inside—not a single ice cube in sight. He wasn’t even sure if any had been added at all, especially since the food on board wasn’t exactly cheap.

“I’ll eat just fine. I was just a bit out of sorts these past few days—I’ll get used to it.” Tang Xianling poured a cup for Tieniu as well. Since they’d already bought it, he took a sip. “It’s not bad. They put a little maltose in it, didn’t they? Try some.”

Huangfu Tieniu had been a little upset, but seeing his husband act this way—clearly trying to cheer him up—he nodded and said, “Okay.”

He wasn’t really upset anymore.

“We’re traveling, and in the summer everyone gets hot and irritable. It’s better to avoid trouble than to stir it up.” Tang Xianling took a bite of rice followed by a sip of mung bean soup—it wasn’t too bad.

Not far away, some passengers were also complaining that the food tasted bad, the iced drinks weren’t cold, they’d wasted their money, and they were going to settle the score with the cook. Their companions couldn’t hold them back, so they all went over together. Before long, a commotion broke out near the galley at the stern, and someone shouted, “Do you dare to grab a weapon and draw a knife?”

A loudmouth shouted, “Drink it or leave it—if you keep talking, I’ll add something extra to your cup.”

Tang Xianling:…

He couldn’t eat another bite.

Normally, it’s best to mind your own business, but the cook on this ship was far too arrogant—he was actually threatening the passengers.

“Let’s go take a look,” Tang Xianling said.

Huangfu Tieniu had stopped eating as well, so the two of them went to check it out.

The cook’s outburst had angered quite a few passengers. Some peacemakers tried to mediate—after all, the cook had a knife in his hand—while others remained silent, hiding in their cabins and refusing to come out. Still others, with explosive tempers, pointed at him and shouted, “What are you talking about? Do you want to add more ingredients?”

The cook was a burly man. Hearing this, he showed not the slightest fear and, with utter shamelessness, retorted, “What ingredients? Did I say that? Oh, oh—I remember now. I said I’d add a little more mung beans and some ice for you. What’s the problem?”

This was a blatant attempt to turn the tables and muddy the waters. His tone just moments ago had clearly been threatening, insinuating that the cook was up to no good and had added something—who knows what—to the food, yet now he was offering this excuse.

“That wasn’t the tone you used just now,” Tang Xianling said.

He hadn’t wanted to get involved, but these two passengers were speaking up to seek justice for everyone—his own Tieniu had also been ripped off when buying an iced drink, ending up with just a pot of ordinary mung bean soup for the price of ice.

The plump steward looked over and saw a young man waving a knife to intimidate him, but before he could swing it even twice, a burly man snatched the knife from his hand.

Huangfu Tieniu grabbed the kitchen knife. “The mung bean soup you just sold me wasn’t an iced drink. It’s been no more than half a tea break—how could the ice have melted? Give me my money back.”

“That’s right, give him his cash back!” the first customer who’d come to demand justice chimed in.

The cook looked at the young gentleman standing before him. As a cook, he was no slouch when it came to strength, yet this young man, despite his tender age, had snatched the knife right out of his hand in an instant. After giving it some thought—and since no actual conflict had broken out—he simply said, “All right, all right. I’ll make a note of the four of you.”

Tang Xianling：……

Damn it, this guy is definitely going to “spice up” their food.

He didn’t have much of an appetite to begin with—how was he supposed to eat for the next seven or eight days?

In the end, the cash was refunded, but the two men who had originally sought justice didn’t look happy at all after accepting it; they frowned—just as Tang Xianling had suspected.

“Brother Su, I shouldn’t have been so impulsive just now. If we’d listened to that cook, what would we have done about our meals for the next few days? I’ve dragged you into this.”

His traveling companion gave a wry smile. “It’s not your fault at all—he was clearly in the wrong. But the food really is… We’ll have to figure something out. I still have some dry rations, but they won’t last seven or eight days.”

After exchanging a few words, the two turned to the married couple. One of them bowed his hands in apology, saying, “We’ve dragged you into this.”

“You spoke up for justice, and the other party even compensated us,” Tang Xianling said, waving his hand to indicate he didn’t blame them. “We can’t twist the truth—it’s a good thing there are people who stand up for what’s right. But for now, we need to figure out how we’re going to eat.”

Huangfu Tieniu said, “I’ll go ask the steward. We’ll spend some cash to buy charcoal, rice, and flour to cook for ourselves—let’s see how much he wants.”

“That’ll be too expensive—and a hassle,” said Guan Hai, who had spoken up, feeling even more guilty.

Su Zhixuan said, “Brother Guan Hai, this is our only option right now. We can’t very well go seven or eight days without eating.” He then turned to the tall gentleman, bowed, and introduced his name and where he was from. “I haven’t yet asked the brave man his name?”

This man seemed to be skilled in martial arts. Since both he and Brother Guan Hai were scholars, and now that they’d run into this predicament, it would be safer to stick with this married couple and work together to solve the problem of food and shelter.

“Huangfu Chen,” said Huangfu Tieniu.

“Tang Xianling.”

In the end, Huangfu Tieniu’s suggestion was, of course, feasible. That manager cared only about money, not people; he was out here doing business to make a living. If someone was willing to pay a little extra—even just to buy some rice, flour, and vegetables to cook for themselves—it was no big deal.

The steward certainly wouldn’t stick up for the cooks.

Upon hearing that this was feasible, Su Zhixuan and Guan Hai both breathed a sigh of relief, though at the moment, neither of them knew how to cook—

Huangfu Tieniu: “I’ll do it.” He didn’t want Xianling to have to do it himself; it was hot and rocky on the boat, and as long as they could fill their stomachs, that was enough—why put his husband through the trouble?

“We’re so grateful to Brother Huangfu. In that case, whatever you cook, we’ll all eat, and we’ll pay you for your time,” Su Zhixuan suggested.

Guan Hai added, “We can’t just have Brother Huangfu work for us for free.”

Huangfu Tieniu nodded indifferently.

And so, the matter was settled.