Chapter 13

When Xia Hongsheng came out of Xu Qixian's house, his stomach was full, and he was burping. Xu Qixian was the same, and after burping, he said to his father, who was also burping and drinking hawthorn water to aid digestion, that he would see Xia Hongsheng out. Eight beggar chickens had been eaten, seven of them, and the last one Xu Qixian insisted that Xia Hongsheng take back for his sister-in-law, so Xia Hongsheng did not refuse. There was no one else present except for Xia Hongsheng, Xu Qixian's family, and the cook. The cook, after the beggar chickens were just peeled from the yellow mud and lotus leaves, went over to Xia Hongsheng, bowed deeply, and apologized, swearing that even if he died, he would not reveal Xia Hongsheng's secret recipe, or else he would be struck by lightning and his family would be left without an heir.

The cook's determination frightened Xia Hongsheng. He didn't like how ancient people cherished their knowledge so much! In ancient China, various technologies were far ahead of the world, some for thousands of years. Why did they all disappear and become lost? Wasn't it because those who possessed the knowledge kept it hidden? For example, the steel-making technology of the Tang Dynasty, which was later learned by Japanese envoys and developed in Japan, but in China, it eventually became lost! During the Ming Dynasty, the coastal pirates used this weapon technology to defeat the Ming army, which was a very ironic joke! And traditional Chinese medicine, which is known to be incredibly miraculous, why did it decline later? Because some excellent formulas were hidden and taken to the grave! Without the formulas, others didn't know how to use them, or they used them incorrectly, and as a result, traditional Chinese medicine declined. Even in modern times, countless formulas have been lost. Every time he thought about it, Xia Hongsheng felt intense regret.

So, when the cook made such a solemn oath, Xia Hongsheng quickly interrupted him and told him that he would teach him many new cooking methods and dishes, with only one condition: not to keep anything secret and to teach anyone who wanted to learn, including his own unique cooking techniques. Xia Hongsheng promised to always have new cooking methods that others didn't know.

After drinking a cup of hawthorn water, the cook made his decision, bowed deeply, and solemnly thanked Xia Hongsheng for his high moral character. Xu Qixian's parents also praised him, saying that he had a broad and generous heart and would surely achieve great things in the future.

Xia Hongsheng didn't know how they could see his potential, perhaps it was just a habit of speaking casually. However, Xia Hongsheng clearly knew that he was now in danger because the shadow behind him had been following him for two streets. It wasn't yet curfew, but it was already late, and there were almost no pedestrians on the road, except for a few vendors hurrying home and farmers who had to leave the city before curfew, or they wouldn't be able to return home. With few people on the road, the person following him was very noticeable. He clearly had no experience in tailing someone; when Xia Hongsheng moved, he moved, and when Xia Hongsheng stopped, he stopped.

Xia Hongsheng was puzzled. The original Xia Hongsheng was a shy elementary school student who hardly knew anyone, so who could have a grudge against him? After becoming Xia Hongsheng, he had only interacted with people at the academy and had no enemies. If it was for robbery, he didn't look like a wealthy person, and besides, most robbers at the time were Robin Hood-like figures who robbed the rich to help the poor, and poor people were generally not targeted. Moreover, curfew was about to start, and the night patrol was already on the streets. Robbing at this time would be suicidal.

No, there was one person! If he really had a grudge against anyone, it could only be the white fool at the academy. But a few words of argument, was that really a grudge? If the person following him was indeed sent by Bai Jianzhi, then his character was truly despicable.

Sigh, a group of students who had never experienced anything, playing at following people? Did they think that just by sending a servant, he would fall for it? Before crossing over, Xia Hongsheng loved watching sci-fi and crime dramas, especially criminal psychology. The servant's behavior was too obvious, and Xia Hongsheng could see it at a glance. Xia Hongsheng's face showed a cold, mocking smile, and he suddenly quickened his pace, turning into a side alley. The person behind him hurriedly followed into the alley. The alley was dark, and as soon as the person entered, he suddenly heard a whistling sound behind his ear. Before he could turn around, he received a heavy blow to the head, and he felt a shock in his brain, his vision went black, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

Xia Hongsheng, rubbing his hand, stepped out from the shadows. He had used a hand strike to hit the pressure point on the back of the person's head. Xia Hongsheng knew how to control his strength, just enough to knock him out. He didn't dare to hit too hard, as a severe blow to the back of the head could be fatal. It wasn't worth getting into legal trouble and jeopardizing his future for such a small person.

Xia Hongsheng sneered at the unconscious servant and then hurried home.

When he got home, his sister-in-law was already kneading dough.

"Sister-in-law, how was business today?" Xia Hongsheng leaned against the stove door and asked the woman inside.

The woman, who hadn't heard Xia Hongsheng's approach, was startled by the sudden voice. She turned around and saw Xia Hongsheng holding a mud ball tied with a rope and asked curiously, "Hongsheng, what are you doing with a mud ball? Are you still playing with mud at your age? By the way, someone delivered a large bucket of pork offal this afternoon, saying you sent it. Is that true? If it weren't for the person being very polite and also bringing a long piece of good meat, I would have thought someone was trying to bully us!"

Xia Hongsheng laughed and walked into the kitchen, throwing the mud ball to the ground. The dried yellow mud cracked, revealing a layer of lotus leaves and the unique aroma of beggar chicken, a mix of rich chicken and fresh lotus leaves. Xia Hongsheng picked up the beggar chicken and carefully peeled off the lotus leaves. His sister-in-law couldn't take her eyes off it. The beggar chicken was so tempting that even the scholars at the academy and the people at Xu Qixian's house were captivated, let alone his sister-in-law. After observing various people's reactions, the idea he had during the wait for the beggar chicken finally took shape.

Xia Hongsheng, without ceremony, tore off a chicken leg and handed it to the woman. "Sister-in-law, try it."

The woman, seeing the chicken leg, instinctively sniffed and swallowed her saliva, then struggled to look away and smiled at Xia Hongsheng. "Is it from your senior Xu's family? They are good people and treat you well. You should thank them and not be impolite. Hongsheng, you eat it. I had three scallion pancakes for dinner and can't eat anything more!"

"If you don't eat it, I'll throw it away." Xia Hongsheng knew his sister-in-law's temperament well and pretended to throw it into the fire, almost letting it slip out of his hand before she quickly stopped him.

"You brat!" The woman scolded, but her eyes were full of gratitude. She took the chicken leg and gently bit off a piece. Before she could chew, her eyes widened in disbelief. After a long time, she finally swallowed the tasteless chicken and sighed sadly. "There is nothing in the world as delicious as this. Hongsheng, I'm sorry, I'm useless..."

Xia Hongsheng laughed without much warmth. "What are you saying? There are many things in the world more delicious than this. This is something I made, and I plan to teach you. Not just this, I will teach you many dishes. Sister-in-law, let's open a restaurant!"

The woman was shocked, dropping the chicken leg and opening her mouth wide in surprise. After a while, she finally reacted, grabbing Xia Hongsheng's hand and repeatedly saying it was impossible.

Xia Hongsheng knew what the woman was worried about. In the hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were the lowest. In her mind, a scholar like Xia Hongsheng wanting to become a merchant was a betrayal. However, Xia Hongsheng was different. His soul came from the modern era, where merchants were the wealthiest and most flexible people, and the ones who could create the most wealth for society and the country. They might be preoccupied with gains and losses and be full of avarice, not fitting the image of a gentleman, and in the Tang Dynasty, they were considered the lowest class. Even their children were not allowed to take the imperial exams. Xia Hongsheng didn't care about these things. What was the imperial exam? It was just a way for officials to recommend people to write some pedantic articles. What was the point? Writing good articles didn't mean one could govern the country, which was a huge joke in Chinese history. Being an official? Xia Hongsheng had never considered it and had no desire for it. All he wanted was a life without worrying about food and clothing, a warm and comfortable life, and the freedom to wander around, play when he felt like it, and sleep when he didn't. That was all.

Pigs! Xia Hongsheng shook his head and sighed. But, he couldn't change his nature, which was that of a carefree wanderer.

"Sister-in-law, our family needs money, and I have a way to earn it. Why not use it? If you agree, I will teach you the skills, and you can arrange everything else. I am young, and no one will listen to me if I go out, so I will continue to study at the academy. If you don't agree, I will quit the academy tomorrow and do it myself." Xia Hongsheng spoke firmly, leaving no room for refusal, and then turned and left the kitchen.

Seeing Xia Hongsheng's determined look, the woman felt as if she was suddenly facing not the familiar child Xia Hongsheng, but a mature adult with his own thoughts and plans.