TTTQF Chapter 118

Return to the Mansion

Chef Hu is arrested, but the main dining hall cannot be shut down. Those impoverished students rely on the dining hall, and if it closes, it will greatly affect them.

The Chief Scholar, who is elderly, often takes leave to rest at home. Now that his trusted subordinate has caused trouble, he feels ashamed and stops coming altogether. He leaves all matters to the Imperial Academy's assistant headmaster, including the task of hiring for the dining hall.

When Jiang Miao hears the news, he is somewhat tempted. Taking on the dining hall contract seems like a good deal, as the funds are directly subsidized from above, so there is no worry about losing money. However, thinking of his current identity, Jiang Miao dismisses the idea. 

He often goes in and out in front of the dining hall before. If they find out that Pei Che’s family has taken over the dining hall, the rumors, which have just begun to die down, will certainly flare up again.

A new chef for the dining hall is quickly found. Unlike the previous Chef Hu, who is fat and broad-faced, the new chef, Chef Zheng, is short and always has a stern expression. However, his cooking skills are excellent, and in just a few days, he won the hearts of many students. Some students who used to only dine at Jingcui Garden also occasionally visit the main dining hall.

In addition, when delivering meals, Chef Zheng no longer ties up one portion for each household like before. Instead, he purchases a variety of different dishes and lets everyone buy as if they are shopping at the market. This way, there are more options for everyone, and they don’t have to take something they don’t like, which reduces unnecessary waste.

Jiang Miao likes this approach a lot. It allows him to prepare a variety of dishes every day, unlike before, when limited ingredients hinder his creativity. However, the one who feels this change the most is not Jiang Miao but Pei Che. Watching as the faces of Xiao Shitou and Pei Mu grow rounder by the day, Pei Che begins to feel a sense of crisis.

He believes that the only thing he has left to attract Jiang Miao, besides his wealth, is his appearance. If he loses his handsome looks due to gaining weight, it will be a great loss. But he is also unwilling to eat less every day. So, Pei Che begins to train hard in martial arts, sparring with Su Jin and practicing swordplay in the courtyard every morning and evening.

Xiao Shitou and Pei Mu follow his lead, waving their little wooden swords in imitation of Pei Che's movements, and sometimes, they even look like they know what they’re doing.

Jiang Miao is also interested in martial arts, but unfortunately, he has neither the talent nor the perseverance for it. If you ask him to stir-fry or chop vegetables for half an hour, he won’t complain, but if you ask him to hold a horse stance for the same amount of time, he would rather die. Thus, Jiang Miao accepts the fact that he will never become a martial arts master.

The days pass by, and in the blink of an eye, it is almost the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival here isn’t much different from the one Jiang Miao is familiar with in his past life. It is a holiday symbolizing reunion, where families sit together, eat mooncakes, and admire the moon.

However, the Mid-Autumn Festival here is a bit more grand. The holiday, including the days before and after, amounts to a total of five days off. Jiang Miao is delighted when he hears this. If there is one downside to the Imperial Academy, it’s that there are too few holidays. With three students in his household, he is always tied up and can’t go anywhere. This time, with such a long break, he is determined to go out and enjoy himself.

Typically, on the day before a holiday, there are only half-day classes. Jiang Miao packs up everything in advance, and after eating, he urges everyone to head out. The others are doing the same—having been away from home for so long, their minds naturally turn to it.

"You guys go back to the Duke's Mansion first, I'm going to the Jiang family’s shop,” Jiang Miao says. With the festival approaching, it’s impossible for everyone to stay outside. They have to return to the Duke’s Mansion.

Pei Che replies, “Let’s go together. If you’re worried about the Jiang family’s shop, we can stop by there first.”

Since Pei Che says this, Jiang Miao doesn’t insist on them leaving first. When the carriage turns into the outer city and stops at the back courtyard of the Jiang family’s shop, Jiang Miao gets out of the carriage, and the others follow him.

As soon as the courtyard door opens, a strong smell of mud and fish hits them. It feels as though they have arrived at the edge of a muddy swamp rather than the back courtyard of a shop. 

In front of each person is a large wooden basin. They hold brushes and are carefully scrubbing one crawfish after another. Ever since Jiang Miao taught them this dish, it has become a daily task that no one can escape, as the dish has turned into the shop's signature item. Even though other shops have started offering the dish, people still think that the taste of Jiang’s shop is the most authentic version.

After checking the ledgers, Jiang Miao announces the Mid-Autumn Festival benefits: the shop will be closed for three days, and there will be bonuses and subsidies in the form of food and oil. The subsidies are met with cheers from everyone, but the idea of closing the shop is met with mixed reactions. Everyone thinks that business will be better during the holiday and suggests only closing on the actual day of Mid-Autumn while keeping the shop open the rest of the time.

Jiang Miao is deeply moved and agrees to their request. The greatest joy for a capitalist must be having employees who love their work even more than he does, right?

After staying at the Jiang family’s shop for about an hour, they get back in the carriage and head for the Duke’s Mansion.

After being away for many days, everything in the Duke's Mansion is exactly as it has always been, without the slightest change. As soon as they enter, the smiles on everyone's faces unconsciously fade, and the atmosphere turns solemn. When they return to Pei Che's courtyard, Chan Yi and Wen Jing have already taken care of everything, preparing for them to wash up and change clothes in preparation to greet and pay respects to Grandmother Pei later.

Grandmother Pei, like before, only has eyes for Pei Che. When everyone greets her, she casually acknowledges them and invites them to sit, but only pulls Pei Che aside to ask him questions, one after another.

Jiang Miao and the other two don’t mind. They only hope that Grandmother Pei will finish quickly so they can retire to rest. Unfortunately, things don’t go as they wish. After speaking with Pei Che, she insists that they all stay for dinner.

The elderly lady's meal consists of easily digestible foods. The whole table is filled with dishes that are either steamed or stewed, all too soft and lacking in flavor. Jiang Miao doesn’t eat much, and the two children only eat a small bowl before saying they are full. Pei Che doesn’t like the food either, but under his grandmother’s concerned gaze, he has no choice but to force down what is in his bowl.

After the meal, Grandmother Pei has tea served, and with the tea tray comes a red invitation card.

"Ah Che, this is an invitation from the Marquis of Xinyang. They’re hosting a Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering and have invited you all to attend," Grandmother Pei says.

“A Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering?” Pei Che takes the invitation and opens it, seeing the seal of the Marquis of Xinyang’s residence. Their family has long-standing ties with the Marquis of Xinyang, so it seems they will have to go this time.

Back at the courtyard, Jiang Miao collapses unceremoniously onto the small couch. After sitting upright for more than an hour, he feels quite uncomfortable. He looks at Pei Che and says, “Can I skip this poetry gathering tomorrow? I don’t even know how to write poetry."

Pei Che sighs. “I’m afraid not. The invitation is addressed to both of us.”

“Are they trying to make a fool of us?” Jiang Miao starts to get suspicious. After all, the whole capital knows that the heir’s wife of the Duke’s Mansion is just a merchant. Why else would they invite him to a poetry gathering?

“That’s not the case. The Marquis of Xinyang has always had a good relationship with the Duke’s Mansion. They wouldn’t deliberately do such a thing. They likely invited the family members of other guests as well, and men and women will be separated at the event,” Pei Che explains.

Jiang Miao suddenly sits up. “They’re not going to stick me with the women, are they?”

Pei Che laughs. "How could that be? You’ll stay with me."

Jiang Miao breathes a sigh of relief. “That scared me. I thought they were going to send me to the back courtyard.” He can’t imagine being put in a group with a bunch of ladies.

Seeing Jiang Miao’s look of relief, Pei Che can’t help but laugh again. Jiang Miao clearly has no interest in the back courtyard. Could it be that he never thinks about matters between men and women at all?

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