In the main courtyard of the Shen family mansion in the capital, there was a scene of joyous celebration mixed with the chaos of war.

Shen Wenqing (Minister of Justice) paced anxiously outside the delivery room, his official hat askew, completely losing his usual dignified and imposing demeanor. He would peek through the crack in the door to listen for any sounds, and then he would mutter to the Guanyin statue of Guanyin, the goddess of childbirth, enshrined in the corridor: "Bodhisattva, please protect me! Protect Mingzhu! Whether it's a boy or a girl, it's all good! All good!" His voice trembled noticeably.

Mr. and Mrs. Shen had just returned from their arduous journey in Jiangnan. Without even a sip of hot tea, they immediately began directing the servants to prepare hot water, ginseng soup, and swaddling clothes. Mrs. Shen kept muttering, "May the Bodhisattva protect us, may everything go smoothly… Mingzhu suffered so much giving birth to Ruige with her first child, please don't let this one be…"

"It's born! It's born!" The delivery room door was suddenly pushed open, and the midwife rushed out, carrying a swaddled baby and beaming with joy. "Congratulations, Lord Shen! Congratulations, Lord Shen! Your wife has safely given birth to a beautiful daughter! Mother and daughter are both safe and sound!"

"Mingzhu!" Shen Wenqing rushed over, trying to leap over the swaddling clothes and into the delivery room, but was stopped by her mother: "What's the rush! Check on your daughter first!"

Shen Wenqing seemed to snap out of a daze, carefully taking the tiny, bright red swaddled baby. Looking at the wrinkled, closed-eyed infant in his arms, this once powerful minister, who had dominated the Ministry of Justice prison, instantly had tears welling in his eyes. He grinned like a fool, exclaiming, "Good! Good! My daughter is good! Like a pearl! My precious little darling!" He awkwardly touched his daughter's face with his fingers, his voice choked with emotion.

Father Shen also came over to look, stroking his beard and grinning from ear to ear: "Good, good! Our Shen family has gained another beautiful flower! Rui-ge'er has a little sister!" He immediately instructed the steward, "Quick! Send a letter to Jiangnan! Send a letter to the Prince Jing's residence to announce the good news! Yuewei and Qingwan must be thinking about it!"

Mother Shen wiped away her tears of joy and said to Shen Wenqing, "Go in and see Mingzhu! She is the real hero!"

Shen Wenqing then carefully handed the swaddled baby to his mother, and, as if holding a rare treasure, tiptoed into the delivery room.

**Jiangnan·Prince Jing's Mansion**

Shen Yuewei and Lin Qingwan were looking at several large boxes of newly prepared gift lists. Shen Yuewei, now out of confinement, had a rosy complexion and, though still somewhat plump, a more alluring figure. Kang Kang was held in his wet nurse's arms, while An An sat on a low table nearby, earnestly "teaching" her younger brother to read, even though Kang Kang could only babble and drool.

"Sister-in-law Mingzhu has given birth to a daughter! That's wonderful!" Lin Qingwan beamed with joy as she held the newly received message carried by carrier pigeon. "I told you, Sister-in-law Mingzhu's baby is sure to be a sweet little girl! Take a look at all the fine silks from Jiangnan, the exquisite silver ornaments, the longevity thread for the newborn to ward off evil spirits, the tiger-head shoes, and the boxes of top-quality pearl powder and beauty cream that you personally picked out, Sister Yuewei. Send them all over! I guarantee Sister-in-law will love them!"

Shen Yuewei smiled and nodded, "Yes, add them all. Also, cut two of those newly acquired, shimmering brocades for my niece to make clothes; she'll definitely look beautiful in them." She put down the list, walked over to An'an, and watched as her daughter dipped her chubby little finger in tea and crookedly wrote the character "Chen" on the low table. Kang Kang reached out his little hand to grab his sister's pen, but An'an nimbly dodged it.

"An'an is so great, she can even teach her little brother to write now." Shen Yuewei smiled and patted her daughter's head.

“Mommy!” An’an proudly raised her little face, “An’an is teaching my little brother to write our family surname! My little brother is stupid and can’t learn it!” Her adult-like tone made Shen Yuewei and Lin Qingwan laugh.

"Where is Second Master?" Shen Yuewei asked.

"Where else could they be?" Lin Qingwan said with a playful laugh. "They're dragging that newly recruited chef from Sichuan around in the back kitchen, busy with his 'grand project'! All smoke and fire, saying they're going to make something like... a 'red and white hot pot'?"

Just then, Shen Wenbai rushed in excitedly, carrying a rich, unique aroma of Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, and butter: "It's done! It's done! Yuewei! Wan'er! Come and try it! Our Shenji 'Number One Pot in the World' signboard is on track!"

Two servants followed behind him, carefully carrying a specially made large copper pot divided in the middle. On one side was a rich broth bubbling with red chili oil and floating with Sichuan peppercorns, while on the other side was a milky white, rich broth with mushrooms and goji berries. Various thinly sliced ​​beef and mutton, fish slices, fresh vegetables, mushrooms, and bean products were displayed in abundance on the long table next to him.

"Second brother, what's going on..." Shen Yuewei was shocked by the scene.

"Hot pot!" Shen Wenbai exclaimed, beaming. "Last time I went to Sichuan for business, I tried it once and I couldn't stop thinking about it! In the freezing cold, friends and family would sit around the pot, the broth bubbling, everyone helping themselves, chatting and cooking as they went, warming both body and soul, lively and enjoyable! It's more down-to-earth than those delicate dishes from Jiangnan, and it attracts more people! I'm thinking of opening this hot pot restaurant wherever we open our teahouse and silk shop! I've even thought of a name: 'Boiling Snow Residence'! What do you think? Isn't that catchy enough?" He looked proudly at his sister and wife.

Shen Yuewei's eyes lit up as she watched the bubbling red and white broth, inhaling the enticing aroma of spicy and savory food. Her business acumen was instantly ignited: "Second Brother, this is a brilliant idea! The teahouse is elegant, the silks are exquisite, and paired with this steaming hot pot, it's a perfect blend of tranquility and activity, refinement and commonness! As for the location, we can..."

The brother and sister immediately gathered around the table, excitedly discussing the location, decoration, food supply chain, and even the secrecy of the broth recipe, all while gazing at the steaming hot pot and the abundance of ingredients. It was as if they were discussing not just a copper pot, but the nascent form of a commercial empire about to spread across the country. Lin Qingwan smiled and shook her head, serving An'an and Kang Kang each a small bowl of mushroom soup from the clear broth, and then inviting the wet nurse to try it too. The unique aroma wafting from the small kitchen in the backyard, mingled with the babbling of children under the warm spring sun of Jiangnan and the energetic discussions of adults, was brimming with vitality.

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