Chapter 22

A wooden tray was carried over by a woman and gently placed in front of Xu Qixian. On the tray was a large bowl, with a few small dishes and small bowls beside it. The small dishes were neatly arranged with various wild vegetables, while the small bowls contained garlic paste, vinegar, and a dark red sauce. The scent of the sauce was slightly pungent and strong, but it was rich and fragrant, made from the processed Zhiyu (also known as Evodia rutaecarpa, a spicy herb used as a substitute for chili peppers in the Tang Dynasty). The woman said nothing, nor did she introduce the dishes. She simply placed the tray in front of Xu Qixian and, in his presence, poured the wild vegetables from the small dishes into the large bowl. The wide noodles in the large bowl, now topped with the green vegetables, looked very appealing. The woman then added the garlic paste, scallions, simmered vinegar, and the dark red spicy sauce to the bowl, covering the noodles. Finally, she scooped a spoonful of boiling hot vegetable oil, gestured for Xu Qixian to move back a bit, and then poured the hot oil over the noodles. Instantly, with a sizzling sound, the air around them was filled with a rich aroma.

Xu Qixian's throat kept moving, his eyes fixed on the large bowl that Xia Hongsheng had pulled over. His hands itched to grab the bowl and start eating. Xia Hongsheng slowly mixed the noodles with bamboo chopsticks and then placed the bowl of authentic oil-splashed noodles back in front of Xu Qixian. Xu Qixian couldn't wait; he picked up the bowl, took a deep breath, and seemed to be lost in the aroma. He picked up a chopstick of noodles and put it in his mouth, his eyes lighting up instantly. The sound of him slurping the noodles filled the air. Xu Qixian's chopsticks moved so quickly that it was hard to describe his speed. He finished the large bowl of noodles in the time it took to drink a cup of tea, eating with great enthusiasm and breaking out in a sweat. Finally, he slammed the bowl on the table and shouted at the woman, "Sister Xia, another bowl!"

Xia Hongsheng almost fell off his seat at this request. The woman was honest, and that large bowl was indeed a large bowl, containing about two pounds of noodles. Although the oil-splashed noodles were delicious, they were too oily and spicy. Eating more could harm his stomach. Xia Hongsheng quickly handed him a bowl of noodle soup, saying, "Drink this, it will help digest the food." Xu Qixian drank half the bowl of noodle soup, then wiped his mouth and sighed contentedly, "This is what eating is all about! Brother Xia, I feel like I've been eating pig food for the past few years!"

Xia Hongsheng chuckled and pushed a bowl of rice wine towards him, saying, "Try this. It's called rice wine. It has a mild, sweet taste and won't get you drunk easily. It's good for digestion."

Xu Qixian took a sip and his eyes lit up again. He put down the bowl and said to Xia Hongsheng, "This rice wine is sweet and soft, with a fragrant and pleasant taste. It's really good, ha ha, Brother Xia..."

Xia Hongsheng smiled at Xu Qixian's expression and said, "Don't worry, I'll write down the recipe for you when we get back."

"Hehe, I won't refuse such a generous offer. Brother Xia, you don't know how good these oil-splashed noodles are. It's like magic, both satisfying to watch and to eat. The rice wine is perfect for my mother and sisters to enjoy in small sips. Uncle is coming soon, and his two kids, hehe, I'll make them drool for sure!" Xu Qixian laughed mischievously, and Xia Hongsheng felt bad for his uncle's children. These poor kids, how did they end up with such a cousin? This visit was going to be tough for them!

However, this was a family matter, and it was clear that Xu Qixian, despite his mischievous behavior, cared deeply for his family. It wasn't Xia Hongsheng's place to comment. Seeing that Xu Qixian was full and satisfied, Xia Hongsheng said, "Brother Xu, we're done eating. Let's talk about something serious. Brother Xu, do you want to make money?"

"What?" Xu Qixian was taken aback.

Xia Hongsheng licked his lips, his throat moving, and his eyes fixed on Xu Qixian. He repeated, "I said, Brother Xu, do you want to make a lot of money?!"

His demeanor was almost like that of a pyramid scheme recruiter.

"Brother Xu, I won't hide it from you. I have a few ways to make money. Any one of them could make us wealthy. This tea, for example, which you've tasted and seen the reaction of Master Yan and the others. This technique is known only to me, not even my wife knows it. If I were to sell this tea, what do you think would happen? My family is poor, and I don't have the capital or the manpower to do this alone. So I need a partner. In our city, there are only two families with the resources to do this: your family and the Bai Jianzhi family. However, Bai Jianzhi's character is questionable, and I don't approve of him. If we were to go to Luoyang, there would be many people who could invest, but Brother Xu, you have always been kind to me, so I want to return the favor by partnering with your family. You don't need to think too much about it. Just pass my words to Uncle Xu and show him the tea I gave you. I'm sure he will understand."

"Brother Xia, we are scholars..." Xu Qixian frowned, but stopped mid-sentence. He knew that Xia Hongsheng was far more capable than him, so he felt embarrassed to say more.

Xia Hongsheng chuckled and said, "Brother Xu, I know it might not sound right, but your father doesn't seem to have any official position or do much. What does he do all day? Yet, your family has a large estate and many servants to support, and you live in luxury. Do you think your family could afford this lifestyle without some hidden business? Your father might not talk about it to maintain his reputation, but it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I bet your family's business is registered under your steward or his son. Don't worry about this, just pass my proposal to your father."

Xu Qixian wanted to argue but thought about it and realized Xia Hongsheng had a point. His father spent his days reading, writing, and tending to flowers, but the family never lacked for anything.

Xia Hongsheng, being in his late twenties in his previous life, knew all too well that every official family had some hidden business. In his previous job, every leader's family had businesses run under the names of their relatives. Given that Xu Qixian's uncle was a high-ranking official in the former Sui Dynasty and had to start over as a county magistrate in the Tang Dynasty, he was likely a hidden agent for his uncle. In the early Tang Dynasty, former Sui officials were the most insecure. The fact that Xu Qixian's family lived in a small, remote city like Luozhou might be a strategic retreat planned by his uncle.

Xia Hongsheng had the technology, and the market prospects for tea were excellent. However, he lacked the channels for production and sales. If Xu Qixian's family had their own business, they could provide the necessary channels. Xia Hongsheng would provide the technology, and the Xu family would handle production and sales, creating a win-win situation.

After chatting for a while, more and more people started trying the oil-splashed noodles, and the seats became scarce. The two had to get up and make room. Xu Qixian said he would definitely pass Xia Hongsheng's words to his father and then left. Xia Hongsheng watched his wife busy herself, realizing she was overwhelmed and needed help. Although he was still a student at the academy, he had been excused from classes to help his wife, but she refused his help, even with simple tasks like washing dishes. Xia Hongsheng felt guilty every time he saw her working so hard.

The snack stand was incredibly popular, and business was booming. Even after the market officials urged them to close several times, people were still lingering around the stand. Xia Hongsheng helped his wife clean up the tables and stools, and they pushed the snack cart back home.

"Hongsheng! You're so smart! This wooden cart and the tables and stools are so convenient and lightweight. The cart is so useful that many people asked me where I got it from!" As soon as they got home, his wife excitedly told Xia Hongsheng. Despite her fatigue, she was elated. She then hugged Xia Hongsheng's head and shook it, saying, "Thank heavens, how did our Hongsheng get such a smart brain?!"

Xia Hongsheng, no longer a child, couldn't bear such childish affection and quickly pulled away, blushing and stepping back a few paces.

"Ha ha, the little boy is blushing! I was still giving you baths last year!" His wife giggled, then remembered something and ran to the snack cart to fetch a package. She brought it inside and poured out a pile of copper coins on the table.

She started counting the coins, and Xia Hongsheng watched her, then suddenly asked, "Sister, do you have any family left in your hometown?"

She was taken aback and looked up, "Why do you ask?"

"Sister, you're working too hard. This isn't good for your health. If you have family, we can hire them to help you run the stand. We'll pay them a fair wage."

"Pay them a wage?" She was confused.

"Uh, give them a salary," Xia Hongsheng explained. "The variety of dishes at the snack stand will increase, and the business will grow. We need trustworthy help."

"Sister has a younger brother, but he's already married," she said.

Xia Hongsheng waved his hand, "It's fine. When you have time, invite them over. It would be best if the whole family came. They are family, and we can't treat them unfairly. After a while, I'll teach you new dishes, and you can focus on the new ones while they handle the current ones."

She hesitated for a moment, and Xia Hongsheng didn't push. Finally, she nodded and said, "Hongsheng, thank you. Our life will get better. I have no doubt about your abilities. My family is poor, and my brother has been a farmer all his life, living a hard life. Thank you, Hongsheng."

"Sister, as the eldest sister, you raised me. I owe you a debt of gratitude that I can never repay. Don't say such things; it makes me feel ashamed," Xia Hongsheng quickly waved his hands.

She smiled, nodded gently, and her smile in the lamplight was warm and kind, full of maternal affection.