Chapter 67: Ancestral Instructions
Zhu Zhifeng glanced at him and said, "So what if I have a lot of relatives? Unlike you, who's all alone, if you die out there one day, there won't even be anyone to collect your body."
Xue Xiujun didn't argue with her as usual; he walked out without saying a word.
Zhu Zhifeng looked at his back, feeling both surprised and a little guilty.
"Am I touching a nerve? He really is an orphan."
Despite knowing each other for so long, Xue Xiujun never mentioned his family, but he was cheerful and good at witty banter, so Zhu Zhifeng didn't take it seriously.
In addition, Xue Xiujun's behavior, speech and knowledge were extraordinary, and he was not like an ordinary beggar at all. Zhu Zhifeng always thought that he was a rich young master who had run away from home to experience life after having a conflict with his family.
Just like her cousin Jin Yifei.
He Jing glanced at Xue Xiujun's departing figure and said quietly,
"almost."
Yu Wan and Zhu Zhifeng felt the same way; they had always thought that Xue Xiujun and He Suzhi's family backgrounds were probably comparable.
The two boys were about the same age and knew each other well. They would compete with each other from time to time, making it seem like they might be childhood friends.
Especially since He Jing specifically requested to bring Xue Xiujun along on this trip, Yu Wan felt that the relationship between the two was unusual, as they were practically inseparable.
"I never imagined he had such a tragic past, but he still grew up to be an optimistic person. His parents must be so proud of him, right? I didn't mean to say that..."
Zhu Zhifeng said something she shouldn't have, and is now struggling with whether or not to apologize.
She couldn't let go of her pride, so she tried to make amends.
"He hasn't talked about his own life, so who knows what he's really like? It's not my fault, is it? Besides, it was just a joke. He's joked with me before, and I only get angry for a little while before it passes. If he stops talking to me because of this, it just shows how petty he is." She said this, but her tone lacked confidence.
As the boss's wife, Yu Wan felt it was her responsibility to comfort her employees, so she stood up and said,
"I'll go see him."
He Jing watched her walk in the direction Xue Xiujun had left, and felt a pang of sadness.
Zhu Zhifeng looked listless and went out after thinking for a while.
Yu Wan didn't search for long before she spotted Xue Xiujun in a pavilion by a nearby lotus pond.
The boy's unusually sorrowful expression gave his entire back view an air of melancholy.
Before Yu Wan even got close, the boy sensed someone was coming and, without turning around, accurately guessed who had come to find him.
"Boss lady, come and look! These lotus flowers are so beautiful!"
Yu Wan silently sat down beside him and followed his gaze to the lotus flowers in the pond.
The flowers are elegant and pure, and just looking at them seems to have a calming effect, soothing a restless mind.
"They are really beautiful. We can see lotus flowers like these in the food court next year."
Xue Xiujun praised with a smile, "Boss lady, I admire your talent so much. Logically speaking, you've never left Sui County since you were a child, how do you know so much? You're really amazing."
Yu Wan gave a bitter smile. "If I told you that I learned a lot of things in my dreams, would you believe me?"
Xue Xiujun laughed and said, "I believe you! I believe whatever the proprietress says!"
He had a handsome face, a wide smile, and crescent-shaped eyes, but his gaze seemed to hold endless helplessness and sorrow.
He abruptly changed the subject, finally dropping his pretense, and choked up as he spoke.
"Actually, my mother loves me very much."
Yu Wan gently patted his shoulder, "She must love you more than anyone else."
Xue Xiujun's peach blossom eyes filled with tears. "She was the only person I could consider family, but she passed away when I was very young. As for the rest of the people... blood ties are worthless in the face of power."
"Yu Family Restaurant will always be your home. And we, the people in the restaurant, will always be your family."
Xue Xiujun pouted, feeling wronged, and tilted her head back to keep her tears from falling.
He tried to hold back his tears while trying to lighten the mood.
"I knew the landlady was the best."
Yu Wan smiled; this person really has a sweet tongue.
"Then you can continue admiring the flowers. I need to go back and prepare for my trip to the Jin Family Restaurant."
Xue Xiujun held back her tears and her emotions returned to normal.
"Boss lady, there's something I'm not sure if I should tell you."
"What is it?" Yu Wan asked.
Xue Xiujun pursed his lips. "What...what do you think of Jin Yifei?"
Without much thought, Yu Wan praised Jin Yifei based on her true feelings.
Xue Xiujun looked confused and asked uncertainly, "Don't tell me you like him?"
Yu Wan was surprised, "Like him? How did you get the idea that I like him?"
Xue Xiujun then listed a few points: they had many common topics, and Yu Wan cared a lot about Jin Yifei, always treated him with courtesy, and most importantly, was very willing to listen to his opinions.
"Is this what liking someone is?" Yu Wan asked, both amused and exasperated.
"Otherwise what? If a woman doesn't like a man, why would she care about him so much?" Xue Xiujun retorted.
Yu Wan explained, "That's because his opinion does make sense. He even pointed out points I didn't agree with, which I refuted. You can't just look at one side of things, young man."
Xue Xiujun breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good, otherwise I was afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it."
Yu Wan asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Xue Xiujun then recounted everything he knew in detail.
The Jin family has an ancestral rule that no woman in the Jin family, whether a daughter or a daughter-in-law, can engage in business.
This is not because they favor sons over daughters, but because the Jin family has a past they avoid talking about.
Decades ago, the Jin family had a daughter who, by seniority, was Jin Yifei's great-aunt. She was exceptionally intelligent, especially skilled in business, and also remarkably beautiful. The Jin family's current prosperity owes much to her contributions. However, a competitor, in order to win a competition, betrayed her, nearly ruining her reputation and tarnishing her honor. The person who betrayed her was none other than the man she loved, so she became disheartened and no longer involved herself in the Jin family's business.
Based on her own experience, she concluded that it was harder than climbing to heaven for a woman to establish herself in this world, and if she were to be blinded by love, her entire life would be ruined. Therefore, she established this ancestral precept for the Jin family. Her initial intention was to protect the women of the Jin family, but later this precept became distorted. The women of the Jin family were barred from engaging in commerce; they were pampered at home but had no opportunity to display their talents.
Therefore, if you want to become a daughter-in-law of the Jin family, you cannot interfere in the Jin family's business; if you have business dealings with the Jin family, you cannot become a daughter-in-law of the Jin family. You can only choose one of the two.
"Boss lady, now you should know how Jin Yifei feels, right?"
Yu Wan was listening intently while munching on sunflower seeds when she was suddenly called on by the teacher and didn't react for a moment.
"Know what?"
Seeing that she seemed indifferent and listened attentively the whole time, Xue Xiujun wondered where her usual intelligence had gone.
"Isn't it obvious? He doesn't want you involved in the Jin family's business, so there's only one reason."
Yu Wan thought for a moment, "I certainly can't let such a good opportunity slip by. By the way, since you know about the Jin family's past, do you know who that distinguished guest from the capital who came to taste the food was?"
Xue Xiujun shook his head. "I don't know either. It seems that only a few people in the Jin family know."
Yu Wan squinted. "So mysterious, could it be the emperor?"
"It shouldn't be. In the current situation, the emperor wouldn't just run away like that. Does he have a death wish?" Xue Xiujun denied her guess.
The two chatted for a while, then forgot about their previous conversation and went back together laughing.
More than half of the morning has already passed, so I'll stay home for now and wait until after lunch.
It seems they've been away from home for a month, rarely eat dumplings, and are probably craving them.
"I want chives, eggs, and shrimp!" Xue Xiujun perked up.
Yu Wan smiled and said, "Okay. You have to cover it too."
"Huh?" Xue Xiujun said, "But you know, my dumplings are so ugly, yours are much better."
"You can eat the ugly one yourself," Yu Wan joked.
He Jing saw the two chatting and laughing from afar, and his face darkened.
After returning to her room, Yu Wan discovered that He Suzhi and Zhu Zhifeng were nowhere to be found, so she went to the small kitchen to prepare dumplings. The kitchen only had eggs, no chives or shrimp, so she had to ask a maid for help.
Taking it out of the system is certainly suspicious.
The maid's face flushed with excitement when she heard that she wanted ingredients.
"Madam Yu, what are you planning to do with these ingredients?"
When Yu Wan mentioned making dumplings, the maid became even more excited, swallowing hard.
"Wow, the dumplings that Madam Yu made must be delicious!"
Yu Wan had been in Jiangnan for less than ten days when she discovered that the Jin family had never made dumplings, probably because they didn't like them.
"If you want to eat it, let's try it together when it's cooked."
The maid was flattered and overwhelmed. "Really? Can we really do this?"
"Of course," Yu Wan gave her a reassuring look. "But could you bring the ingredients over for me now?"
It wasn't convenient for her, as she was a customer, to ask for it.
The maid ran out happily.
However, when she returned, she found that more than a dozen people were following her.
Yu Wan recognized them; they were all chefs from the main kitchen, including the head chef.
What do these people mean?
Did they think she was showing off when she made braised noodles before?
"Madam Yu, can we help out?"
"Help?" Yu Wan originally planned to make three hundred dumplings, enough for ten people.
Now... it seems a bit unreasonable to leave them to help without giving them dumplings.
A goofy chef scratched the back of his head and said, "It would be even better if we could try one or two dumplings."
"Yes, yes, I'm still craving the aroma of the braised noodles from last time, it's just a pity I didn't have the chance to try it. Madam Yu, we won't just eat for free, we can roll out dumpling wrappers and make dumplings. You'll have to do the kneading of the dough and the filling yourself."
"Alright, then I'll leave it to you all." Yu Wan had already kneaded the dough, and now she could only make a little more.
The courtyard was filled with joy; after all the materials were prepared, they began wrapping.
The Jin family chefs discovered that Yu Wan's fillings were very fresh and fragrant, and the dough was just the right consistency. In addition, Yu Wan also knew various fancy wrapping techniques, which broadened their horizons. This girl was really extraordinary.
Yu Wan was also secretly observing the chefs. They were quick and efficient, rolling out the dough very fast, and the shapes were perfectly round and thin. The dumplings were also plump and cute.
She had never deliberately compared her cooking skills with others and didn't know where she stood. Now she has a better understanding of herself.
She was happy to be herself like this, and delighted to be able to exchange culinary skills with so many fellow cooks.
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