TTTQF Chapter 22

Who is More Beautiful, Mr. Zhu of East City or Me?

“Brother Jiang, it’s all thanks to you! If it weren’t for you, I would be kicked out yesterday!” Although the danger has passed, Zhao Xing can’t help but sigh heavily. The thought of yesterday’s events still chills him.

Jiang Miao, rubbing his sore arm, smiles and says, “It’s not because of me. Your master is just looking for someone to vent his frustration on since things didn’t go his way. If things went well, he would be satisfied and wouldn’t need to vent. However, I notice that Steward Zhu seems difficult to deal with. Have you had any conflicts with him before?”

Zhao Xing’s face darkens. “That old dog is just holding a grudge because I took the job meant for his nephew! His nephew was greedy and tried to pass off inferior goods as good ones, causing the madam to suffer abdominal pain all night. Instead of blaming his nephew for his greed, he blames me!”

“Indeed, food ingredients must not be tampered with,” Jiang Miao says, remembering the toxic products soaked in chemicals in modern times. He becomes serious. “Edible items can’t be taken lightly. At best, it causes illness; at worst, it can be fatal.”

“That’s right. That kid shouldn’t have just been kicked out; he should have been sent straight to the authorities. Isn’t that endangering lives for profit?” Zhao Xing wishes he could go back to that day and personally drag the boy to the court and let the master beat him with a stick.

“By the way, Brother Zhao, when can we go back?” Jiang Miao glances at the little boy, Xiao Shitou, who is nodding off after the meal, looking like a chicken pecking at rice. He is clearly exhausted. Jiang Miao holds Xiao Shitou in his arms to let him sleep more comfortably.

They have to prepare dozens of baskets of longevity peaches today, and it’s impossible to make them all in the morning. Wanting to earn some extra money, Jiang Miao doesn’t ask for help from the manor. Instead, he has Master Yang Chong knead more dough and spends almost the entire night in the kitchen preparing everything needed for today’s banquet.

The Zhu family had also prepared a room for him to rest, right next to the small kitchen. He originally planned to let Xiao Shitou go to sleep first, but he refused no matter what, and for the first time, he showed his stubborn side in front of Jiang Miao. Since that was the case, Jiang Miao couldn’t force him, so he let him stay with him for the night. Just before dawn, he finally fell asleep in Jiang Miao’s arms after a while.

“Hold on a bit longer. The banquet isn’t over yet! I just heard from the servants that both the male guests and the ladies are full of praise for your longevity peaches. The master will probably reward you later!”

Jiang Miao charges by the piece for the longevity peaches. Although he doesn’t provide the materials, he charges ten wen per peach for his craftsmanship. With sixty tables at the Zhu manor’s banquet, each with eight peaches, that makes 4,800 wen in total. The Zhu manor doesn’t mind the extra 200 wen and directly gives him a silver ingot worth five taels.

When they see the silver ingot, both brothers are stunned. Xiao Shitou can’t help but exclaim, “The money my brother earned in one night could buy me!”

Jiang Miao laughs heartily at this but forgets to correct Xiao Shitou’s perspective. As a result, whenever they encounter something expensive later on, Xiao Shitou compares its price to himself.

Hearing that there’s still a reward to be received, Xiao Shitou struggles to open his sleepy eyes and says, “Brother, let’s not go back yet.” He wants to wait and receive the reward first. Only after Jiang Miao nods does Xiao Shitou rest his head softly on Jiang Miao’s arm and fall back asleep.

At this moment, Jiang Miao isn’t very sleepy. This body is at the age where it can stay up all night. Back in the day, when he was this age, if his grandaunt’s house didn’t open the door at night and he had nowhere to go, he would often spend the whole night at an internet café. The next day, he would still be full of energy. He wonders where he had so much energy back then.

“Your little brother is so well-behaved, unlike my boy who throws tantrums and makes his mother worry to death,” Zhao Xing remarks, watching the interaction between the two brothers. Despite his complaints, the smile on his face reveals his true feelings.

“Let the boy be more lively, so he’ll be better able to handle things when he grows up.” Jiang Miao hopes that in the future, he can also raise his younger brother to be more lively, allowing him to leave behind the shadows of his past and regain the innocence that belongs to a child, instead of always appearing overly mature in front of others.

“Manager Zhao, the banquet is over, and they’re going to watch the opera now. The master wants you to bring the young chef over,” a servant hurriedly announces.

“Alright, we’ll be there soon,” Zhao Xing replies. Then, turning to Jiang Miao, he says, “The master is calling for you. Shouldn’t Xiao Shitou rest for a bit first?”

“No, let him come with me. We’ll be leaving soon anyway,” Jiang Miao prefers to keep his brother by his side given the many people coming and going at the Zhu manor today.

He gently wakes Xiao Shitou, who obediently stands up, rubbing his sleepy eyes and trying to stay awake as he follows them.

“Young Master Pei, the young chef is here!” Master Zhu’s words draw the attention of everyone inside and outside the room, and their eyes meet unexpectedly.

“…” What the—! Is this really a face someone can have without any plastic surgery or makeup? Jiang Miao feels like he’s hit hard, and his mental strength and resistance drop to zero in an instant. He thinks that after years of seeing handsome men and beautiful women on Douyin, he has become invincible. But today, he finds himself defenseless! His self-control still isn’t strong enough!

Is it him? Pei Che recalls the events that took place a few days ago at the foot of Puling Temple. He scrutinizes the person at the doorway, accurately detecting a series of emotional changes: from surprise to infatuation, then to frustration, and even a bit of heart-wrenching regret.

The first two emotions are typical of others upon seeing him, but the latter expressions are peculiar. Moreover, this person isn’t fixated on him; he actually seems lost in thought right in front of him. How strange!

Jiang Miao’s reaction makes Pei Che, who usually doesn’t care about his own appearance, start to wonder if there’s something off with his attire today.

“Young chef, young chef?” Master Zhu calls out several times, snapping Jiang Miao back to his senses.

“Ah, Master Zhu, why did you call for me?” The thought of potential reward money immediately brings Jiang Miao back to his professional demeanor, turning to look at Master Zhu with eager eyes.

Pei Che frowns slightly. He wants to look in a mirror to compare his beauty to that of Mr. Zhu from East City. His attitude is akin to, “I look good; whether you stare at me or not is one thing, but your lack of interest is another matter.”

“Thanks to you and Master Du, my birthday banquet went off without a hitch. This bag is a token of my appreciation, please accept it.” The maid behind him holds a tray with an exquisite purse on it, bulging with contents that seem to be at least ten taels.

Jiang Miao’s smile becomes even more sincere, but he feigns modesty, “Master Zhu, you are too kind. I was just doing my job and have already been paid; how could I accept additional reward?” He rubs his hands, ready to accept the purse once Master Zhu insists again.

“Uncle Zhu, I perceive that this young chef is a person of high integrity, willing to earn only by his own skills. Why insult him with money?” The voice is melodious, but to Jiang Miao, it sounds like a saw cutting through wood. Especially when he sees Master Zhu starting to ponder those words, the sawing noise turns into the cawing of crows.

He wants to grab this person by the collar and shout: You’re noble, you’re amazing, but don’t trade my reward money for virtue!

Are all good-looking people this spiteful? Or is he just an empty-headed beauty who can’t understand polite refusals? Jiang Miao ponders.

Pei Che, watching Jiang Miao space out again, also begins to think. Could it be possible that when people say he’s good-looking, it’s just a polite compliment and nothing more?

The atmosphere becomes somewhat tense for a moment. Master Zhu, who is the first to regain his composure, laughs and breaks the silence: “Haha, young chef, you’ve worked hard. You deserve this token of appreciation, take it.”

Jiang Miao quickly reaches out, grabs the money bag, and tucks it into his chest. Only when he feels its heavy weight does he finally feel at ease. He silently reminds himself to avoid making polite refusals in the future.

“Thank you for your generosity, Master Zhu. It’s getting late, so I won’t disturb you any longer,” Jiang Miao says, preparing to take his leave.

“Wait a moment, young chef. Master Pei has a few questions for you. Please stay a bit longer,” Master Zhu interjects. The reward could have been sent directly, but Young Master Pei seems particularly interested in the young chef and has asked several questions. So, Master Zhu has him brought over to receive the reward in person.

Jiang Miao looks at Pei Che. Given his appearance and the surname Pei, could this be the legendary most handsome man in Liangjing? The one touted as the top of L4? The middle-aged man has praised him to the skies, and his looks are indeed… well, alright, he does look really good. But this also confirms the saying: you can know a person’s face, but not their heart!

His eyes are filled with curiosity, as if he were observing a rare species. Pei Che feels somewhat offended by Jiang Miao’s strange gaze.

“No need,” Pei Che says. He had initially been curious about the person who made the longevity peaches, thinking he might have some knowledge of painting. But now, he sees him as just a greedy and tasteless peddler.

However, this person’s craftsmanship is decent. Remembering the cute appearance of the longevity peaches he had eaten at lunch, Pei Che thinks it would be nice to have him make some to take home for his grandmother and younger brother.

Jiang Miao forces a smile, feeling somewhat belittled. He again makes a polite gesture to leave.

Master Zhu is about to grant permission when he hears Pei Che whisper something in his ear. He immediately changes his mind and says, “Young chef, could you make a few more baskets of longevity peaches? A guest wants to take some home for their family to taste.”

Jiang Miao glances at Pei Che. Is this guest him? Why not say it directly instead of passing the message through someone else? What kind of pretentious behavior is this?

In fact, Pei Che feels it’s inappropriate to directly command someone hired by the host, so he has Master Zhu relay the request.

“I’m sorry, Master Zhu. I live in the west of the city and need to walk back with my brother. If it gets too late, we might not make it before the evening bell,” Jiang Miao says, pretending to be troubled. Even if he plans to call a donkey cart as soon as he leaves the gates, he still has to pretend he’s walking back.

“No problem. Once you’re done, I’ll have a driver take you back, so you won’t be delayed. Of course, you’ll also be paid separately for these additional baskets. Young chef, please don’t make things difficult for me in front of my guest.”

“…Alright then.” With the offer laid out like this, there’s no reason to refuse. After all, he’ll earn more money and get a free ride home. Only a fool would turn that down.

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