Lintai was merely a scholar, spending his days engrossed in books. How could he possibly know about someone like Ji Wei? Seeing Lin Yaozu’s shocked expression, he finally realized.
“This person is famous?” Lintai recalled how his classmates had laughed at this man named Ji Wei for foolishly printing his name on small flyers.
“Famous, yes, but not in a good way,” Lin Yaozu explained briefly. Lintai let out a startled gasp, speechless.
“How can it be him? Is this the same person?”
“It seems so,” Lin Yaozu replied, equally baffled.
“But no matter who made these cookies, they’re remarkable. Truly talented,” Lin Yaozu commented.
He owned two shops—one selling pastries, the other selling sweet drinks, located in different places. The sweet drink shop’s business was neither great nor poor, picking up somewhat in the summer due to the heat. But the pastry shop wasn’t doing as well.
In recent months, a new pastry shop had opened on the same street, offering a wider variety of items. The novelty and different flavors attracted customers, causing a noticeable drop in business at Lin Yaozu’s pastry shop. He had spent much effort trying to find a solution.
He had considered hiring a new chef or adding some unique pastries, but neither could be done overnight.
He was worried, but when he saw the cookies, an idea formed in his mind.
Initially, he hadn’t given this thought much attention, thinking the academy wouldn’t need anyone else interfering. But hearing Lintai’s mention made him reconsider.
A good businessman needs to be sharp, daring, and proactive—seizing opportunities before others can. That’s how you find profit where others don’t.
With this idea in mind, Lin Yaozu quickly found time to visit Changliu Town.
…
In the Ji family home on West Alley, Liu Yimian had gone to Ah Qiu’s house that morning, bringing a job offer. It wasn’t difficult work, just taking over Liu Yimian’s previous tasks—preparing soup, delivering tea, and running errands. The pay was half what physical labor would offer, but for Ah Qiu, it was still a decent sum.
As for Liu Yimian, Ji Wei wanted him to focus on his studies. All he had to do was deliver snacks to the Zhang family every few days and learn from Scholar Zhang; Ji Wei told him not to worry about anything else.
When Liu Yimian returned, he brought half a pound of shrimp. He stir-fried them over high heat with green onions, ginger, salt, wine, and sugar, just as Ji Wei had taught him. The shrimp were flavorful, sweet, and fresh.
“Brother Ji, why did you bet against that thug?” Liu Yimian couldn’t understand.
From what he’d seen in prison, Liu Qing was a madman, capable of anything if pushed to the edge. He wished to never have anything to do with him again.
Ji Wei had kept the matter hidden, not wanting Liu Yimian to worry, but he knew it couldn’t be kept secret forever.
The deed was stashed away in the cabinet, the same one Liu Yimian often organized. While airing out the clothes from the bottom of the drawer, he had come across the contract.
It was mere curiosity that led him to look, but what he saw terrified him.
Twenty taels of silver!
Ji Wei could only smile bitterly, knowing that he couldn’t avoid it any longer.
“Even if we don’t want trouble, it still finds its way to us. If it weren’t for Liu Qing stealing business from the Baozi Beauty, why would I have bet against him? In the end, it’s because they refuse to leave me alone.” Ji Wei’s smile faded, his eyes cold.
“People like them bully the weak but fear the strong. Only when they’ve been hurt badly enough will they stop causing trouble? I never take on anything I’m not sure about, so don’t worry.”
Liu Yimian nodded, finally reassured.
He picked up a fully cooked shrimp and placed it in Ji Wei’s bowl, urging him to try it.
The stir-fried river shrimp had been caught fresh that morning. Its meat was firm and springy, with a hint of sweetness. The flavor of the river’s freshness was perfectly captured in the dish.
The two had a simple lunch—a plate of stir-fried river shrimp and a bowl of steamed eggs with yogurt. Ji Wei ate quickly, then instructed Liu Yimian to take the prepared biscuits and donuts to the Zhang family before heading out.
Ji Wei’s first stop was at Sister Lin’s house, which raised cattle. By coincidence, she had just returned home to cook and hadn’t gone back out to her stall yet when Ji Wei arrived.
The two weren’t that close, but since she had helped Ji Wei before, they had become more familiar. Mostly, they just exchanged a few words when they ran into each other on the street. The last time Ji Wei visited was to borrow her ox cart.
“Sister Lin, sorry to bother you again,” Ji Wei said, noticing she was carrying a bucket of water. He quickly stepped forward to help carry it inside.
“Here to borrow the ox cart? It’s not here—Brother Han took it to the fields,” Sister Lin explained. They owned a plot of land where they grew crops, and the ox was used for plowing. Recently, they had been busy tilling the soil to plant some new vegetables, so the ox was often in the fields.
“No, I’m not here to borrow the cart. I’m here for you,” Ji Wei replied, which left Sister Lin puzzled. They didn’t interact much, so why had he come looking for her?
“What do you need from me?”
“I’ve noticed your business hasn’t been doing well. I wanted to teach you how to make flatbreads. Interested?”
“I don’t have time for jokes. I’ve got plenty of work to do,” Sister Lin said, her face stern as she turned to leave.
“You’ve misunderstood me. I’m serious.” Ji Wei then explained that in a little while, he would no longer be setting up his stall on the street and wanted to teach her as a form of repayment for her willingness to testify for him at the county office.
Seeing how earnest Ji Wei was, Sister Lin realized he wasn’t joking and didn’t refuse. After all, if he was offering, it wouldn’t hurt to learn.
Kitchen work wasn’t difficult for Sister Lin. In just half an hour of following Ji Wei’s instructions, she was already about 70-80% proficient—better than the Baozi Beauty herself.
Sister Lin couldn’t help but marvel, “It looked complicated, but doing it isn’t so bad.”
“Exactly.”
“So, I can set up a stall on the street now?”
“Of course, but it’s best to go to East Street, so you don’t overlap with Aunt Zhou.” Ji Wei noticed her confusion and explained, “I’ve also taught Aunt Zhou, and I plan to visit Sister Chunhua later. Each of you can have a street to yourselves, so you won’t be stepping on each other’s toes.”
As Sister Lin saw Ji Wei out, she felt genuine admiration for him.
If it were her, she could never do what Ji Wei had done.
Watching Ji Wei walk off into the distance, Sister Lin started thinking about how to discuss this with her husband when he returned from the fields. After all, she had often envied Ji Wei’s booming business from her stall across the street.
They didn’t need much capital, and they could afford to invest.
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1