Clatter—
The rag slipped from Madam Wang’s hand and fell to the ground.
She clutched the edge of the counter, her face pale as paper, her lips trembling.
“Qingyan… this… what are we going to do? That’s Shopkeeper Wang from the Wang Family Tea Division! In the Zhouqiao Night Market, he’s one of the biggest figures. We… we’ve gotten ourselves into serious trouble!”
The tremor in her voice made Su Mingyue’s little face turn pale as well. She clutched tightly at her sister’s sleeve, not daring to speak.
Scholar Su said nothing, but his tightly pressed lips and the faint tremble in the hand resting on the ledger betrayed the turmoil in his heart.
Eighty guan…
If they took this money, would their family finally be able to stop living in fear?
Su Qingyan packed up the last few roujiamo and handed them to the final customers still in line, then hung out the wooden sign that read “Sold Out.”
Turning back, she looked at her worried family. She first bent down to pick up the rag her mother had dropped, then gathered the scattered copper coins one by one into the money pouch.
Walking to her mother’s side, she gently took her cold hand.
“Mother, are you afraid?”
Madam Wang’s eyes reddened, tears welling up. “It’s not that I’m afraid of hardship… I’m afraid… afraid they won’t let us live in peace.”
Su Qingyan turned to her father. Scholar Su avoided her gaze, looking down at the ledger, his voice hoarse. “Qingyan, I know you have backbone. But… the Wang family isn’t like that Master Wu. In Bianjing, they’re deeply rooted.”
The implication was clear.
Master Wu had been a bully who preyed on the weak—someone who could be handled with clever tactics. But the Wang Family Tea Division was a true powerhouse, a force that had fought its way through brutal commercial battles.
Su Qingyan smiled.
“Father, Mother—why do you think he’s willing to spend eighty guan to buy our recipe?”
She didn’t wait for an answer.
“Because he can’t make it himself. Because he sees that our roujiamo can steal business from his Zhouqiao Night Market. What does that mean?”
Her gaze swept over her siblings, then her parents, her voice clear and firm.
“It means we did it right! It means our little shop has already caught the attention of a big shopkeeper like him!”
She paused, her tone growing stronger.
“Eighty guan sounds like a lot—but that’s the price to buy out our entire livelihood. That money will run out one day. When it’s gone, what will we have left? Do you think Wang Defu will give us even a single coin more?”
“If we don’t sell the recipe, then we’re holding onto a hen that lays golden eggs! If he can offer eighty guan today, tomorrow our craft will be worth one hundred eighty! As long as the Su Ji Kitchen sign stands here, as long as our food gets better day by day, he’ll always be left eating dust behind us!”
That’s right—how had they not thought of this?
Selling the recipe was like killing the goose that laid golden eggs.
Keeping their craft was the path to lasting prosperity.
The panic in Madam Wang’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by understanding—and resolve.
Scholar Su let out a long breath. Looking at his fourteen-year-old daughter, his eyes filled with undisguised pride and relief.
This daughter of his not only had skill—she had vision and courage far beyond her years.
“Big sister is right! We’re not afraid of him!” Su Mingxuan clenched his small fists and shouted.
“Yeah! Let him eat dust!” Su Mingyue echoed, her face regaining its color.
In that moment, the family’s hearts became more united than ever before.
..
Late at night, when everything was quiet—
Su Qingyan lay on her small bed, unable to sleep.
Her words during the day had been bold, but she knew better than anyone that Wang Defu’s threat was no empty bluff.
In Bianjing, for a small, powerless vendor to be crushed—it was all too easy.
A grain merchant could hoard supplies and cut off her flour. Thugs with ill intent could come daily to cause trouble. Greedy officials could find excuses to fine her…
Any one of these could force Su Ji Kitchen to shut down.
Backbone alone was not enough.
She needed strength—strength that would make him hesitate to act.
Closing her eyes, Su Qingyan let her consciousness sink into that familiar, private space that belonged only to her.
The moment she entered, she froze.
The once boundless storage space had changed.
Beside the shelves where ingredients were stored, a new door had appeared out of thin air, glowing faintly. Hanging above it was a plaque with three ancient characters:
“Seasoning Workshop.”
At the same time, a stream of information flooded into her mind.
[Congratulations! Host reputation has exceeded 1000 points!]
[“Su Ji Kitchen” has opened. The open-kitchen concept has taken Shuigu Street by storm. The heated wall design has astonished all. Your direct confrontation with the Wang Family Tea Division has rapidly increased your fame in eastern Bianjing.]
[Second-tier function unlocked: Seasoning Workshop.]
[Seasoning Workshop: Capable of analyzing, replicating, and mass-producing any liquid or powdered compound seasoning personally created by the host. Production efficiency is linked to reputation points.]
Su Qingyan’s heart began to pound wildly.
Mass production!
What was the soul of Su Ji Kitchen?
The secret braising sauce for the roujiamo. The unique formula for brown sugar buns. These required her to personally mix spices and simmer them step by step—complicated, time-consuming, and severely limiting her output.
One person, two hands—there was only so much braised meat she could make in a day.
But now, with this “Seasoning Workshop,” everything was different!
Eagerly, she focused her mind on the door.
It opened silently.
Inside was a virtual workstation filled with a sense of advanced, almost futuristic technology.
Following the instructions in her mind, Su Qingyan recreated the full recipe and process of her braising sauce on the console.
[Analyzing recipe…]
[Spice ratio: star anise 3.2%, cinnamon 2.5%, bay leaf 1.8%… soy sauce ratio… rock sugar ratio… analysis complete.]
[Named: Su Ji No.1 Secret Braising Sauce.]
[Begin production? Current reputation points (1258). Daily production capacity: 50 liters of standard braising sauce.]
Fifty liters!
Enough to supply her current shop for several days!
Without hesitation, Su Qingyan selected “Yes.”
On the virtual production line behind the console, light flickered as sealed jars labeled “Su Ji No.1 Secret Braising Sauce” appeared out of thin air, neatly arranged on shelves.
She took out a jar with her mind, opened it, and used the taste-simulation function to sample it.
The flavor was identical—down to the smallest detail.
This was practically a cheat code!
The heavy weight on her chest instantly lifted by more than half.
Wang Defu wanted to use underhanded methods? To crush her with capital and power?
Then she would use overwhelming product superiority to utterly defeat his Wang Family Tea Division!
Now that the sauce could be mass-produced, the “two new pastries” she had promised were no longer empty words.
She finally had enough time and energy to develop truly market-shaking new products.
Her mind began to race. Once again, she immersed her consciousness into the “Culinary Knowledge Base.”
“Filter: flour-based foods, relatively easy to produce, novel in taste, complementary to soy milk and braised meat, suitable for winter sales in Bianjing, and affordable for common people.”
Countless recipes flashed through her mind.
Liangpi? Not suitable—who would eat that in such cold weather?
Shaomai? Too delicate and slow to prepare—not ideal for a small shop aiming for volume.
Youtiao? Already everywhere. Even if hers were crispier and more fragrant, they lacked that decisive, jaw-dropping impact.