Jiang Yuehua instinctively glanced at Xie Yanqing.
Only after her sister’s reminder did she realize… back then, Xie Yanqing, just like her two brothers, had been escorting the family’s luggage and supplies and returned to the capital a step later.
The Jiang brothers’ return to the manor that day also meant that Xie Yanqing might have come to their Jiang family before even returning to the Loyal Marquis Manor on his first day back in the capital.
In an instant, a faint blush spread across Jiang Yuehua’s face.
[Holy moly!]
[Shyness veils her charming eyes, crimson lips part with a smile… Is my sister actually blushing?]
[That Little Green Tea definitely didn’t expect her tea-scented words wouldn’t harm my sister’s fragile little heart but instead made my sister realize Xie Yanqing’s feelings for her]
[What a twist!]
[My dear sister, snap out of it!!!]
“Ahem.”
The slightly embarrassed Jiang Yuehua immediately pulled herself together upon hearing her sister’s inner voice. Her sister was right—she shouldn’t want a Big Pig Trotter.
Meanwhile, Xie Yanqing was on the verge of tears.
He desperately wanted to say… “It’s not true, I didn’t, don’t make things up…”
“Daiqing, don’t speak nonsense.”
“The gifts I prepared for Yuehua were all given of my own free will.”
“I never thought Yuehua only accepted them because they were expensive, and Yuehua has never judged our relationship based on how precious the gifts are.”
“On the contrary, if Yuehua can feel happy receiving my gifts, I’d be honored and look forward to it even more.”
“The bond between Yuehua and me over these past ten-plus years shouldn’t be measured by gifts.”
“By saying such things, you’re not only belittling the relationship between Yuehua and me but also insulting your own young master.”
Xie Yanqing took a deep breath.
In the past, he would have been too shy to say such things in public.
But…
Now that his future sister-in-law had already labeled him a Big Pig Trotter, and Yuehua was looking at him somewhat differently…
Xie Yanqing couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer.
“Wow… Is Young Marquis Xie publicly declaring his feelings?”
“Preparing gifts just to bring a smile to the beauty’s face—I can’t take it, my heart’s racing so fast!”
“If someone would confess to me so firmly in front of so many people, I’d marry him right away!”
“Even though I’m already married, seeing such a young gentleman still makes my heart flutter.”
“Miss Jiang is so lucky.”
In the treasure pavilion, many ladies and young misses who were selecting jewelry (and eavesdropping on gossip) were now watching the scene with sparkling eyes.
The latest New Year’s gossip had just arrived.
“Y-you’re talking nonsense.”
Under the gaze of those fervent eyes, Jiang Yuehua felt embarrassed and tried to leave with Jiang Yueyao.
Although Xie Yanqing had always liked to linger around her in the past… he had always adhered to gentlemanly etiquette.
Never like today…
How could he… how could he say such nonsense in public.
[Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!!!]
[Future brother-in-law is so domineering, I love it!]
[I just love watching public confessions that simultaneously slap Green Tea in the face]
[Look at Little Green Tea’s face—it’s almost turned as green as a winter melon, hahahahahaha~~]
Jiang Yuehua: …My sister’s laughter is too exaggerated.
Xie Yanqing: …My sister-in-law finally acknowledges me again.
“Yuehua, Yao Yao, wait for me”
…
…
Drunken Immortal Restaurant.Xie Yanqing grinned cheekily as he stubbornly followed the two sisters into the Drunken Immortal Restaurant, even directly booking the best private room.
As for Daiqing…
Xie Yanqing didn’t actually dismiss her.
After learning that Daiqing was a Northern Liang spy who would soon frame their Loyal Marquis Manor, Xie Yanqing had decided not to let her out of his sight.
But bringing her along to dine with Jiang Yuehua was impossible, so he simply had her watch the carriage downstairs.
Anyway, he wouldn’t let her leave, but he wouldn’t allow her to come up and serve him and Yuehua… some ‘Green Tea’ either.
Knowing his future sister-in-law loved good food, Xie Yanqing directly ordered a full table of the Drunken Immortal Restaurant’s most famous dishes and wines.
Well, yes, including his personal stash of Peach Blossom Brew stored here.
“Wow, this looks really amazing!”
[It does look great, but it’s all soups and stews]
[Seems like stir-fried dishes really don’t exist in this era]
[I remember stir-frying appeared around the Northern and Southern Dynasties**, with records in Qimin Yaoshu]
[But it only became widely popular after ironworking technology advanced enough to produce relatively thin iron woks]
In Jiang Yueyao’s historical knowledge, stir-fried dishes only gradually became popular after the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
And the era in this book more closely resembled the Tang dynasty.
Thinking about it this way…
[Wow, if I could develop stir-fried dishes now and open a restaurant with my sister, wouldn’t we make a fortune?!]
[Hahaha, I can already see loads of little money flying toward me]
[But opening a restaurant would require quite some startup capital. I wonder if Mom and Dad could provide initial funding]
[Would I have to push Dad to succeed first just to open a restaurant?]
[That’s quite a heavy task. Maybe I should rest first before thinking about it?]
Jiang Yueyao very naturally began backing down from the idea, happily starting to sample the Drunken Immortal Restaurant’s food and drinks instead.
Though they were all soups and stews, under the chef’s expert preparation, they tasted quite delicious.
Especially one steamed sea bass dish…
It was incredibly fresh.
Remembering how in her previous life… because of that small island country’s actions, she couldn’t freely eat seafood later, and within a few years didn’t even dare eat river fish, Jiang Yueyao found this steamed sea bass even more delicious.
Eat more, eat even more.
Jiang Yueyao focused on enjoying the delicacies.
But…
Jiang Yuehua’s mind was actively working.
Though she didn’t understand what Yao Yao meant by ‘stir-fried dishes’… since her younger sister said they were good things, they must be good things.
Yao Yao was already thinking about how to make money at such a young age, and even wanted to bring her, the older sister, along to earn money…
Jiang Yuehua felt both touched and guilty…
How could she simply accept her younger sister’s kindness like this?
So what if they needed to open a restaurant?
She, she would find a way!
At worst, she could check if there were any patients in the capital recently with difficult illnesses, offering thousand-gold rewards for cures.
Or…
A silver needle glimmered in Jiang Yuehua’s hand.
That young lady named Fang Qingxue earlier seemed to be the Ministry of Revenue Vice Minister?
A very wealthy Ministry of Revenue Vice Minister?
If she contracted some strange illness and someone could cure it, the consultation fee should be quite substantial, right?
Jiang Yueyao remained completely unaware that her sister was already considering ‘creating and solving her own problems.’
Happily taking another bite of fish, she suddenly brightened.
“Oh right, that Fang Qingxue from earlier seems to come from a very wealthy family!””Rich people these days love to keep their treasures hidden at home… If only I could take a stroll through her residence.”
“Or… if I can’t get in myself, maybe I could send someone else to pay a visit to their storage room?”
“I wonder if Father’s personal guards are skilled enough for this.”
Jiang Yuehua: …
No, her little sister’s thoughts are getting too dangerous.
Better for her, the older sister, to strike first!