Chapter 1

Li Erniang, dressed in flamboyant attire, her chubby face smeared with rouge, looked like a monkey's bottom. She swayed her water-bucket-like waist, and as she walked, her body jiggled. When she arrived in front of Ruchun Winehouse, she wrinkled her nose and then smiled.

Li Erniang pinched her handkerchief and entered. This winehouse was peculiar; it was noon, yet there were no diners, and it was eerily quiet. She looked inside and indeed saw that the place was deserted, with only a young man leaning his head on the counter, lost in thought.

The moment she saw the young man, Li Erniang's eyes lit up.

With a twist of her water-bucket-like waist, she approached the young man, and her unique voice rang out: "Oh, Master Qin, are you memorizing your books? Everyone in the neighborhood knows how much you love reading, truly a fine disposition, and you are so handsome. Such a fine young man, how many girls would be lucky to find you with a lantern?"

The young man was named Qin Shaoyou. His parents had recently passed away, and he was still in mourning. He had inherited the family business, which was this Ruchun Winehouse. When his father was alive, he had great hopes for this young man and had specially hired someone to teach him to read. Qin Shaoyou was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, but some people secretly called him a bookworm, saying he was a toad aspiring to eat swan meat.

It was unclear whether Li Erniang's smooth talk was praise or ridicule.

Qin Shaoyou snapped back to reality, first looking at Li Erniang with a blank expression, then a flood of memories surged into his mind.

In fact, Qin Shaoyou had been lost in thought, not memorizing his books. In his previous life, he was a gourmet, traveling to various places and enjoying a high reputation in the culinary world. However, he suddenly found himself in the body of a bookworm. It had only been a couple of days, and he hadn't fully adjusted yet. Now, Li Erniang had come to him.

Li Erniang was a well-known matchmaker in the area, known for her smooth talk. Now she stood in front of him, smiling and sizing him up, which made Qin Shaoyou feel a chill.

Qin Shaoyou had to adapt to the customs of the time and bowed to Li Erniang, saying, "Greetings, Li Erniang. What brings you here?"

"Those who read are indeed different," Li Erniang said with a pleased expression. She swayed her body and leaned on the counter, gazing at Qin Shaoyou. "No wonder Miss Zhou has taken a fancy to you. You know, Miss Zhou is as beautiful as a flower, a true beauty. Tsk tsk... Let me tell you, she hasn't taken a fancy to anyone else, only to you, Master Qin. Her father has entrusted me to arrange a match, to make a good marriage."

It turned out she was there to propose a marriage.

Qin Shaoyou felt a wave of happiness, almost fainting. He had only heard of men pursuing women, not women pursuing men. Was he that charming?

Wait... That's not right.

When Qin Shaoyou recalled carefully, he frowned. "Could it be Miss Zhou from Wuma Street?"

Li Erniang beamed, "Yes, yes, that's her."

Qin Shaoyou's face fell. According to the memories of his new body, he knew who she was. He said seriously, "But I've heard that she is lame and not very beautiful."

Phew, phew... Qin Shaoyou felt relieved. Being transported to another world was already hard to accept. If he were to be tricked by a matchmaker into marrying an ugly woman, he would rather not live. It would be unjust.

When his lie was exposed, Li Erniang didn't get angry. Her eyes showed a fake admiration, and she said with a smile, "Everyone says Master Qin is smart and quick-witted. It seems to be true. However, Miss Zhou, though not very beautiful, is virtuous and has a good disposition."

Qin Shaoyou shook his head, "But she is still a cripple."

Li Erniang's face turned sour, "Her family does big business and has money. The dowry will be generous."

Qin Shaoyou felt insulted, "Money is not everything. I have money too. Look..." He rummaged in his sleeve and scattered some copper coins on the counter, one, two... three... seven... eight...

Hmm... Only eight...

Qin Shaoyou's face turned red. In the past two days, he had been in a daze and hadn't realized this issue. Now, upon inspection, he found himself to be a pauper.

Li Erniang's patience was clearly exhausted. She scowled and placed her hands on her water-bucket-like waist, "Hey, I called you Master Qin to give you some face. Do you want to start a dye shop? Others may not know your situation, but I do. Since your father's death, you, the bookworm, have mismanaged the winehouse and are in deep debt. The winehouse will eventually close. As for your studies, don't think I'm being unfair, but your family has never produced a scholar. How can you rise to prominence? Soon, you will have to sell your property to pay off your debts and live a life of hardship. This is your chance. The Zhou family has offered you a way out. Miss this opportunity, and you'll regret it."

Qin Shaoyou's face turned red with anger. It turned out that Li Erniang was there to kick him while he was down, knowing he was about to become a pauper and that the Zhou family's daughter couldn't find a husband, so they had come to him.

In the past two days, Qin Shaoyou had been struggling with the unscientific nature of his situation. Now, faced with this predicament, he searched his new memories to understand his situation.

Li Erniang was right. This winehouse was a family business passed down through generations. Qin Shaoyou had only known how to read, reciting the Four Books and Five Classics fluently, but he knew nothing about running a winehouse. As a result, the business had become unsustainable, and he had to take on debt to survive. Now, he owed over seventy taels of silver, and the winehouse was on the brink of bankruptcy. It was no wonder that Li Erniang, acting on behalf of the Zhou family, had come to him. The Zhou family also ran a winehouse, and it seemed they were not only trying to take over his family business but also his innocence.

A tiger in a flatland is bullied by dogs!

Qin Shaoyou felt a surge of indignation. He was not one to give up easily. He glared at Li Erniang and said, "Who says the winehouse will close? Who says I can't succeed? That's ridiculous!"

Li Erniang sneered, her eyes like daggers, as if she wanted to tear Qin Shaoyou apart, "Ha... If your winehouse doesn't close, there's no justice. Look at what you serve your customers. Even slop is better than what you serve. Your family will never recover. Marry Miss Zhou honestly; it's better to eat and wait for death than to wander homeless. If you don't listen, you'll regret it."

At that moment, the curtain to the hall opened, and a chubby figure appeared, carrying a dish.

This chubby figure was Qin Shou, Qin Shaoyou's distant cousin. With no means of livelihood, Qin Shou had been recruited as a cook. When Qin Shaoyou's father was alive, he didn't let Qin Shaoyou learn cooking, only focusing on his studies. Qin Shou had always been his assistant. Despite his simple appearance, Qin Shou was shrewd. Seeing the winehouse's decline and not receiving his wages for months, he had grown resentful and looked down on Qin Shaoyou, thinking he was a disgrace to the Qin family for not learning anything useful and only studying.

With no customers at this time, Qin Shou had cooked a couple of dishes for the two of them to eat.

Seeing Qin Shou bring the food, Qin Shaoyou's stomach growled. In the past few days, he had been in a daze, eating only simple steamed buns. Now, reality hit him, and his stomach rumbled.

He smiled at Li Erniang, "Miss Zhou is a beauty, wealthy, and virtuous. I am not worthy of her. Thank you for your efforts. It's just the right time for lunch. If you don't mind, why don't you join us for a meal?"

Li Erniang was disappointed, finding Qin Shaoyou unbearable, and knowing the food at Ruchun Winehouse was terrible, she was reluctant. Just as she was about to refuse, Qin Shaoyou came out from behind the counter and approached the table, where Qin Shou was sulking and slamming the dishes down.

Qin Shaoyou, seeing Qin Shou's behavior, scolded him, "What kind of manners are these? It's as if I owe you money!"

Qin Shou, instead of backing down, became more aggressive. He shook his belly and shouted, "Master, you do owe me money. Let me calculate it for you. Since the intercalary month, I haven't been paid. Two hundred coins a month, let me see... It's been..."

Qin Shaoyou's head ached. This was the Tang Dynasty, no, it was the Zhou Dynasty, and the current emperor was Wu Zetian. As a master, shouldn't he be able to bully his employees? How dare you calculate your wages?

Although he thought this, Qin Shaoyou didn't dare anger the 'chef.' His confidence wavered, "Qin Shou, don't be angry. I was just speaking off the cuff. We are cousins, after all. We should be reasonable."

Qin Shou, with his nose in the air, said, "Who's being reasonable? Even brothers should settle accounts. I say, sell the winehouse, pay me my wages, and we can both find our own ways."

Li Erniang, who was about to leave, now stayed, leaning on the counter, watching the scene with a gleeful expression, hoping for more drama.

Qin Shaoyou, hearing Qin Shou's suggestion to sell the winehouse, felt a surge of anger. He had just been transported to this world and had a family business to rely on. Selling it would mean losing everything. What kind of cousin was he to suggest such a thing?

Faced with Qin Shou's aggressive stance, Qin Shaoyou's mind flooded with more memories. As a child, every time he met this cousin, he was beaten. No wonder they didn't get along. It was no wonder that Qin Shou, as a cook, had no fear of his master. If someone beat you regularly, would you still respect them?

Qin Shaoyou couldn't take it anymore. He stood up, looking fierce, and in that moment, he had mentally killed Qin Shou hundreds of times. He shouted, "All you think about is money! A person needs faith. Without faith, what's the difference between a person and a salted fish?"

Qin Shou began to pant, and based on Qin Shaoyou's experience of being beaten, it seemed he was about to lose control.

Well, a scholar meets a soldier.

So, he slumped his head, picked up the chopsticks, and said, "Alright, alright, let's eat. I'm hungry."

He picked up a piece of the black, unrecognizable dish. In his previous life, he had tasted the best of the culinary world and didn't understand the cooking of this era. He cautiously put the dish in his mouth.

Qin Shou, seeing his cousin back down, felt victorious and was about to sit down.

But after the first bite, Qin Shaoyou was furious. He slammed his chopsticks down and shouted, "What is this? How can you serve this to people? No wonder the winehouse is failing!"

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