Chapter 3

The kitchen grew quiet, and Qin Shou looked at Qin Shaoyou with pleading eyes, saying pitifully, "Master, Master... I was wrong, can you forgive me, please?"

"No!" Qin Shaoyou replied bluntly, "How do we settle the beatings you gave me in the past?"

"That was when I was young and didn't know any better."

Qin Shaoyou sneered, "If you didn't know any better, you still beat me. If you knew better, wouldn't you have beaten me to death? Go, go, go, I don't want you anymore."

Qin Shou immediately burst into tears, wishing he could cling to Qin Shaoyou's legs and wailed, "No, I'll work like a horse, I'll be a ghost of the tavern in life and death, Cousin, I was blinded by greed..."

Qin Shaoyou was secretly amused. This guy had his own style, quite shameless, but as the saying goes, 'fellow craftsmen are enemies.' If you have such a thick skin, aren't you stealing my thunder?

However, Qin Shaoyou didn't really want to drive Qin Shou away. He was out of money, and without money, he couldn't hire any helpers. Without helpers, he couldn't manage the tavern.

So he said slowly, "Forget it, after all, you're family. Brothers fight together, and in battle, fathers and sons stand united. I'll teach you how to cook."

"Ah..." Qin Shou was stunned, his voice trembling, "You... you'll teach me to cook."

Qin Shou was very excited. If he could learn even half of his cousin's skills, he would be a great chef anywhere.

Qin Shaoyou nodded, "Of course, we're brothers. I've always valued our family bond. I don't have many relatives left in this world. If I really drove you away, I'd be alone, lonely, and miserable, like a stranger in a foreign land. When I look up at the bright moon and think of my hometown, I'd think of you, and my heart would ache, my liver would tear."

A warm feeling instantly spread through Qin Shou's body. He trembled, trying to hold back tears, "Cousin..."

Qin Shaoyou looked at him with deep emotion, "Cousin."

"Good brother!" Qin Shou put his hand on Qin Shaoyou's shoulder.

Qin Shaoyou's body trembled slightly, showing that Qin Shou's grip was strong, "Good brother!"

Their eyes met, and it seemed as if sparks were flying, even the candlelight in the kitchen seemed to emit a warm glow. At this moment, the power of family was like a raging fire, invincible.

Qin Shou's tears finally began to flow, tears of regret.

"Cousin, are you tired? Let's go to the hall and sit down."

Back in the hall, Qin Shaoyou sat down. Despite his simple attire, he had a scholarly air, and he didn't look like a tavern owner at all, more like a noble young man.

Qin Shou quickly brought tea and said, "Cousin, please drink."

Qin Shaoyou took a sip and tasted ginger. He suddenly realized he was in the same era as Wu Meiniang, where tea was boiled with salt, scallions, ginger, jujubes, orange peel, cloves, and mint.

"Cough, cough..." Qin Shaoyou almost choked. Seeing Qin Shou about to pat his back, he quickly said, "Wait, let's talk about the indenture."

Qin Shou couldn't help but ask, "Indenture, who is selling to whom?"

"Obviously, you are selling to me."

"Ah... Cousin... you... what are you doing?"

Qin Shaoyou looked at him with pity, "As I said, I value family. The thought of you leaving makes me heartbroken. Cousin, I can't bear to lose you. I'll teach you to cook, but if you run away, I'll be sleepless and lose my appetite. But if you sell yourself to me, I'll sleep soundly, and I won't worry about you running away. If you do, I can report you to the authorities. According to the Tang Code, the punishment for runaway slaves is severe. But don't worry, we're family. If you sell yourself to me temporarily, I'll teach you my skills, and I'll treat you well, letting you enjoy a good life. If you refuse, I'll have to let you go. You'll have to farm without land, renting fields from others, working hard all year, and barely making ends meet."

Qin Shaoyou was no fool. This cousin was lazy and talkative. If he taught him and he ran away, who would he cry to?

"I... I..." Qin Shou was on the verge of tears.

...

After signing the indenture, Qin Shou looked dejected. He never imagined he would be tricked by this harmless-looking bookworm cousin. But since he signed the indenture voluntarily, he had no right to resist Qin Shaoyou anymore.

Qin Shaoyou put away the indenture, feeling much better. Seeing Qin Shou's mournful face, he thought it was time to boost his spirits and encourage him to work hard.

So Qin Shaoyou said with enthusiasm, "I suddenly had an epiphany, blessed by our ancestors, so we must bring glory to our family."

"Oh... bring glory to our family."

"We must revive our family business and live a good life."

"Live a good life... um... um... okay."

"Wait, get some boxes ready to store money. We're going to make a lot of money."

"Cousin... I have something to say, it's been bothering me. Will you pay me the wages you owe me when we make money? I need to buy new clothes... and..."

"Uh..." Qin Shaoyou was momentarily stunned, then looked at him meaningfully, "Cousin, you need to have faith!"

...

In the Tang Dynasty... no, now it should be called the Zhou Dynasty, Qin Shaoyou had only been there for two days, but he had already seen the local customs.

A Li Erniang who had thrown him into a well and forced him to marry an ugly wife, and a cousin who had beaten him since childhood, Qin Shaoyou had a poor impression of the people of Zhou. The idea of simple and honest folk was a joke.

So in a world where the bad guys were in charge, Qin Shaoyou had to be even worse. This was called fighting fire with fire, and he was quite adept at being shameless and ruthless.

Now, his goal was not just to bring glory to the family, but to protect his only asset and avoid being homeless. The tavern business must continue.

Whoever dared to stand in the way of his wealth, Qin Shaoyou would not hesitate to turn them into minced meat and eggplant.

The first challenge was not opening the tavern, but restocking. The ingredients in the tavern were running low, and the fresh produce was almost gone. There was still some oil, salt, vinegar, and a barrel of pickled cabbage in the backyard, but this was Luoyang, not Korea, and people didn't eat pickled cabbage at every meal. He needed to get more ingredients.

But the problem was, Qin Shaoyou had no money, and he was in debt.

However, this didn't bother Qin Shaoyou. He planned to continue borrowing, and borrowing wasn't hard; you just needed a thick skin. The tavern already owed a lot of money to suppliers, so more debt wasn't a problem. Besides, wasn't the debtor the boss?

This task usually fell to Qin Shou. The old Qin Shaoyou only read books or gazed at the stars, occasionally composing doggerel, or in winter, watching the snow fall and the plum blossoms in the backyard, shedding tears. When spring thunder sounded, he would put on a scholar's robe, hold a fan, and go out to enjoy the spring.

Now, Qin Shaoyou tragically discovered that the old guy had squandered everything, and all the burdens fell on him. If he didn't take action, he would still have the stars and plum blossoms, but also the cold north wind.

Early in the morning, after washing up, Qin Shaoyou put on decent clothes. He was naturally handsome, and with a bit of grooming, he looked quite dashing. Feeling good, he instructed Qin Shou to clean the tavern, especially the stove and kitchenware, which needed to be wiped three times, then set off for the East Market.

The East Market was not far from the tavern. On the way, Qin Shaoyou noticed that the tavern was located between the East and West Markets, close to the 'red light' district, a prime location with a lot of foot traffic.

Qin Shaoyou couldn't help but marvel at the hard work of his ancestors, who had built such a good foundation. Yet, the old bookworm had brought the business to this state, a true oddity in the catering industry.

At the East Market, he went straight to Liu the Butcher.

Liu the Butcher was one of the main suppliers to the tavern. Most of the chicken, duck, fish, and meat came from him. However, business had declined, and the tavern now owed him seventeen taels of silver. According to Qin Shou, every time he went to borrow, Liu the Butcher would brandish a butcher's knife, his veins bulging, and his eyes wide, as if he wanted to cut Qin Shou into pieces.

Seeing the short and plump Liu the Butcher, Qin Shaoyou couldn't help but shudder. He was confident, but he didn't have a steel body. If he were chopped up here, the loss would be small, but the embarrassment would be great.

Liu the Butcher had already seen Qin Shaoyou hesitating. His face twitched, and he smiled, putting down his knife and wiping his face with a greasy cloth, then waving at Qin Shaoyou, "Qin Brother, it's been a while since I've seen you."

Hmm... so enthusiastic?

Qin Shaoyou instinctively sensed a conspiracy.

But he was brave. If he was afraid of a butcher, how could he stand in the future world of ruthlessness? So he walked forward, ready to bow politely and explain his purpose. However, Liu the Butcher patted his shoulder, "How's your studies, Qin Brother? The first time I saw you, I knew you were a nobleman, destined for high office and a place in the Hall of Worthies."

"Ha... this..." Qin Shaoyou kept an eye on the butcher's knife, wary of Liu the Butcher's sudden attack, and replied, "I'm flattered, Liu Brother."

Liu the Butcher didn't reach for his knife but became even more friendly, as if Qin Shaoyou were a long-lost brother, though his appearance suggested they might be half-brothers.

"Whoever dares to mock Qin Brother is my enemy. Your father and I were old friends, a bond worth more than gold. So, are you here to borrow meat? No problem, just say what you need, and I'll have my helpers deliver it to the tavern."

Qin Shaoyou was speechless, suddenly finding Liu the Butcher's ugly face somewhat like Jin Chengwu, making him seem cute, "This... I always rely on Liu Brother's help, I'm really grateful."

Liu the Butcher feigned anger, "What are you talking about? Family doesn't speak of such things. Come, come, come, just say what you need. We'll write an IOU later."