TTTQF Chapter 75

Thank Your Whole Family

The Jiang Family Shop has been open for seven or eight days now, and business improves daily. They offer a wide variety of breakfast items that satisfy the basic needs of the general public. Thus, people often come here to eat, as they don’t have to worry about the taste.

As the Jiang family’s shop thrives, other breakfast vendors naturally feel displeased. How can it be fair for one shop to take away all the business? Since the Jiang family’s shop opened, many of their customers have switched over.

This kind of resentment builds up, making these vendors particularly angry every time they pass by the Jiang family’s shop.

One noon, someone invites a few familiar shop owners to drink. After a few rounds, this person casually mentions the Jiang family’s shop, which immediately sparks outrage among everyone. Their indignation makes it seem as if Jiang Miao’s shop is not a breakfast place but rather a den of robbers or a bandit’s lair.

Seeing that the time is right, the man says, “Since this Jiang is so unreasonable, should we cause him some trouble?”

When these words come out, the shop owners who have been so vocal in their complaints are momentarily stunned. Although they have been complaining loudly, they hesitate in the face of the suggestion.

“Well... that might not be good.”

“Yeah, although his actions of taking away our customers are indeed frustrating, it’s not worth arguing with him about.”

“Exactly. We’ve been in business for years, and we still have plenty of old customers. Once they get tired of the Jiang family’s shop, they’ll naturally come back to us.”

Facing the three people's words of evasion, the man who invites them, while smiling, feels quite disdainful. He says, “Gentlemen, as far as I know, the proprietor of the Jiang family’s shop is quite resourceful. Their menu changes every month. With this strategy, customers can’t get bored. When will they come back to us?”

The three of them frown upon hearing this. One of them, who sells noodles, says, “That’s his skill. I don’t know where he learned these techniques. Back in the day, when I was learning to make noodles, I had to beg and plead, working as an apprentice for a year or two before I was taught the craft.”

He also tried the noodles from the Jiang family’s shop. The broth is very delicious, and the side dishes are quite appetizing. However, the noodles themselves are not very chewy, lacking some flavor. He considers himself superior to Jiang Miao in noodle-making. But the problem is, Jiang Miao’s skills are not limited to just this one thing.

“Yeah, it’s really strange. I went inside and found that there are only two people in their kitchen, yet they offer more than a dozen kinds of food,” another person says. He sells buns and steamed bread. He tries some of their items; having a variety isn’t unusual, but the main issue is that everything tastes quite good.

The person who invited them says, “Forget about where his skills come from; the fact that he’s driving us to the brink is clearly against us.”

A pancake vendor, struck by the suggestion, asks, “So, what do you propose we do about him?” Although the Jiang family’s shop hasn’t sold pancakes, having so many different types of food concentrated in one shop has still impacted his business.

The inviter replies, “That’s actually simple. What do we vendors fear the most? It’s not other things but whether someone might get sick from eating our food, right? If someone gets a stomach upset from his shop, will so many people still go there to eat?” He smiles at the three, exuding confidence, as if he has been planning this all along.

This scheme is quite malicious. While reputation might seem intangible, it is crucial for their business.

The other two are relatively okay with this. The noodle vendor immediately shares what he has heard earlier.

“Hold on. I know that one of his assistants sets up a stall in the afternoon to sell fried buns. I hear that they used to set up stalls together, and once, when some hooligans caused trouble after claiming they had food poisoning, they ended up in a fight. The hooligans were later sent to jail and fined a month’s worth of river dredging work.”

The bun vendor is somewhat surprised. “Just for a fight, they were fined so heavily? Does that mean Jiang has someone backing him up? And that this person has connections with the authorities?”

The bun vendor was somewhat surprised. “Just for a fight, they were fined so heavily? Does that mean Jiang has someone backing him up? And that this person has connections with the authorities?”

The noodle vendor says, “Not just that. I also find out that the shop’s deed is actually in his name. Even though the shop is hastily put up for sale, it’s still priced at fourteen or fifteen hundred taels. This shows he has substantial financial backing!”

The four of them fall silent. The inviter looks somewhat embarrassed; he doesn’t know about these details. It turns out this person has quite an influential background. Given this, the original approach can no longer be used.

After the banquet, the inviter returns home, still feeling a bit hesitant. If anyone is affected, it is undoubtedly his own shop. He sells wontons, and his business has always been good over the years. Since the Jiang family’s shop opened, his business has become much quieter.

For those who have grown accustomed to their location, moving isn’t easy; otherwise, they’d lose new customers and old ones alike.

He initially thinks that if he can’t move his shop, he can at least make this Jiang guy move his. But after hearing the noodle shop owner’s words today, he feels quite apprehensive.

Then he reconsiders. He clearly remembers that Jiang Miao mentioned in a casual conversation with his assistant that the rent for the shop is fifteen taels a month and complained about it being quite expensive. Surely he wouldn’t deliberately pretend to be poor to deceive his assistant, right?

The wonton shop owner, puzzled and upset, decides to investigate further. He is old acquaintances with the former vinegar shop owner, so he hires a donkey cart and goes to the upper town to inquire with that shop owner.

Upon investigation, he is stunned to find that the deed is indeed in Jiang Miao’s name. Why is he pretending to be poor then? The wonton shop owner is furious!

The old vinegar shop owner doesn’t understand his mood and simply shares the story as an interesting anecdote: “My shop has been up there for a long time with no inquiries. Unexpectedly, one morning at dawn, someone from the Song family comes and waits outside. Without saying a word or discussing the price, they just pay the money directly. Later, when they go to the authorities to stamp the papers, those arrogant officials and clerks don’t dare utter a word in front of Steward Wu.”

“Wait, the name on the deed isn’t Jiang Miao, but Steward Wu?” The wonton shop owner is confused.

“Isn’t Jiang Miao the head of the family? Isn’t it natural for him to send his steward to buy a shop?” The old shop owner doesn’t understand why he is so surprised.

The wonton shop owner tries for a long time but can’t connect the extremely simple Jiang Miao with having a steward. He asks the old shop owner, “Do you remember where Steward Wu lives?”

The old shop owner recalls, “He lives on Yingfeng Street. He says he is a servant of the Jiang residence, sent by his master to buy the shop.”

The wonton shop owner feels this place sounds familiar, but he can’t quite recall where he has heard it before. When he heads towards Yingfeng Street, it suddenly dawns on him that the Jiang residence is the site of the major event a while back.

On the fifth day of the third month, the heir of the Duke’s mansion comes with a long procession to propose to a man at the Jiang residence. Everyone is curious about who this man is, but despite inquiries, it is only known that he is a merchant named Jiang, and no one has seen his true face.

Could it be… The wonton shop owner breaks into a cold sweat. Could Jiang Miao actually be the man whom the Emperor has betrothed to the Duke’s heir?!

The more he thinks about it, the more suspicious he becomes, so he informs the others. The rest are equally shocked and unsure how to process the news.

Although they have heard about this unusual event before, they can’t understand why, if Jiang Miao has already risen to such prominence, he would still be toiling away like them, working hard for a small amount of money.

They have all seen how lavish the Duke’s heir’s betrothal gifts have been!

...

Jiang Miao finds things a bit strange. Early this morning, before the Jiang family’s shop had even opened, a large crowd has gathered outside, all of them with excited expressions, as if something exciting is about to happen.

Could the breakfast be too good? Jiang Miao, full of questions, takes a small path to the back door and knocks.

Li Ping quickly opens the door, peeks out, and then pulls Jiang Miao inside. In the courtyard, Zhou Lin, Aunt Wen, and Daniu are already there.

Instead of their usual harmonious and busy working state, the moment Jiang Miao enters the courtyard, they all look at him with a peculiar gaze, as if a flower has suddenly grown on him.

“What’s wrong with you all? And what’s with that crowd outside? I’m just a bit late today—what happened?” Jiang Miao looks confused, wondering why the world seems to have changed overnight.

“Boss, you really don’t know?” Zhou Lin asks hesitantly.

Jiang Miao doesn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Why are you keeping it a secret now? If I knew, would I be asking you??"

Seeing that Jiang Miao genuinely seems unaware, Zhou Lin organizes his thoughts and explains on behalf of his stunned companions.

"Boss, it’s rumored outside that you’re the man who’s engaged to the Duke’s heir.”

“What?!” Jiang Miao is shocked, and his reaction relieves his employees, who think his astonishment is due to the absurdity of the news.

“I tell you, our boss couldn’t possibly be engaged to the heir. I hear that man is big and rough-looking, with a violent temperament, and that the heir is coerced into the marriage by a life-saving debt...” Zhou Lin happily shares the gossip he has heard, seemingly oblivious to Jiang Miao’s darkening expression.

Aunt Wen, noticing Jiang Miao’s unusual reaction, tugs at Zhou Lin to stop him. She is perceptive and has already noticed Jiang Miao’s distress.

Zhou Lin, caught off guard, doesn’t quite understand at first. But when he sees Jiang Miao’s expression, he immediately falls silent.

“This news comes from the mouth of someone you know?” Jiang Miao asks calmly. He feels like he has achieved a state of enlightenment. This day is bound to come sooner or later; it has just arrived early. He really wants to thank the person who spreads this news and their whole family!

The others shake their heads in unison. They have heard the news on their way to the shop, and Li Ping has learned it from them. While they know about it, they don’t have time to think it through because there is still a large crowd waiting outside!

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