Chapter 5: First day

“Who are you?” Chen Ren’s hands paused over the steaming pot of noodles as a shadow fell over him. He looked up and felt immediate regret when his gaze met the figure before him. Not because her presence commanded some sort of attention, but because her face resonated in the depths of his memory. The young miss of the Tang Clan— there was no mistaking her. Different memories came rushing into him as he looked at her for a second more. She was young, with sharp, thin eyes, pursed lips and a pointed nose, with an elegance that belied her age. Her long, black hair flowed, framing a face that could easily be mistaken for a painted portrait. Her eyes, dark as night, held a sharpness that pierced through him— or anyone who could be standing in his position. He finally noticed how her short figure was looking up at him with an unwavering look of questioning—‘Who are you?’ — Chen Ren mentally slapped himself knowing he could’ve at least looked up before questioning with such a commanding voice. But what was done was done. Before Chen Ren could speak up and clean the little mess he made, she spoke. "So, now you need me to introduce myself?" A slight mocking smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she continued, "I’m Tang Yuqiu, the young miss of the clan you’ve been staying with all this time. If you can put on this show with the servants, it seems your injuries have healed. I thought even if you woke up after losing the battle, you wouldn’t dare show your face in the Tang Clan." Chen Ren, unfazed by her words, bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. He knew better than to take offence; the relationship between them was complex as he had seen and known from Chen Ren’s memories. "I didn’t know you’d be around," he replied calmly. "And yes, my injuries have healed. As for the servants, I’m just cooking something for them." Tang Yuqiu arched an eyebrow, scepticism clear in her eyes. "Cooking? Do you really think I believe that? You’ve never been one to speak kindly to the servants, let alone cook for them." Chen Ren allowed a small smile to play on his lips as he gestured to the steaming bowls and the line of servants waiting eagerly. "As you can see, I’ve changed a bit." Before Tang Yuqiu could respond, Tang Xiulan stepped forward, her tone respectful yet firm. "Young Miss, young master is indeed cooking and distributing noodles to the servants. I’m helping him with that. It’s also not interfering with their work; they come here after finishing their duties." seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tang Yuqiu stared at Tang Xiulan, her expression blank with shock. Her eyes went from his to the sight of the servants eagerly waiting for their turn, empty bowls in their hands. The idea of a servant, especially one like Xiulan, defending Chen Ren was unthinkable, yet here it was, unfolding right before her eyes. Chen Ren himself was taken aback. Snapping out of his surprise, Chen Ren turned to Tang Yuqiu, his tone casual yet inviting. “If you’d like, young miss, you can try the noodles for yourself.” Tang Yuqiu looked down at the steaming bowl of noodles in the servant's hand, her brows furrowed in confusion. “What even is that? Noodles?” “It’s made from rice. You’ll like it,” Chen Ren replied with a hint of confidence as he quickly prepared a bowl for her. Scooping up the already prepared noodles, he added a good amount of vegetables and broth. After all, he couldn't be stingy with someone who had technically provided him the ingredients. Tang Yuqiu’s eyes widened as he handed her the bowl. She glanced between it and Chen Ren, unable to hide her shock at the sheer audacity of the situation. The longer she hesitated, the more awkward the moment became. Without missing a beat, Chen Ren prepared another bowl, this time for her maid, who took it with a clumsy bow. “Don’t worry,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s not poisoned.” Tang Yuqiu’s cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and irritation. She looked at the bowl again. Finally, she relented and took a cautious bite. Chen Ren watched her closely, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. The pride of a cook settled deep in his heart. The last few days had been spent in a relentless pursuit of perfection. Rice noodles were a simple dish, yet within that simplicity lay countless possibilities. He had worked tirelessly, refining the texture and firmness of the noodles, adjusting the broth, and adding just the right amount of vegetables to enhance the taste. Seeing Tang Yuqiu’s expression soften as she ate, he knew he had succeeded in conquering the tastes of probably his richest customer until date. He recalled her father was quite the foodie and because of that, she had eaten quite a lot of different types of dishes. If his noodles could impress her, then he definitely had the required skills to make it big. When she finally finished, Tang Yuqiu looked at him, her gaze softened by a touch of wonder. “It was… good.” Chen Ren’s smile widened. “Would you like seconds?” She hesitated, her pride flaring up again, but from how she looked at the noodles, it was clear that the allure of them was undeniable for her. After a moment’s pause, she nodded, albeit reluctantly. As he handed her another bowl, he couldn’t help but tease, “Mind if I finish distributing the rest to the servants? There’s a lot of noodles, and you can’t eat it all, right?” Tang Yuqiu glared at him, a mix of irritation and amusement in her eyes. “Obviously not. You can continue. We can’t waste food.” With a light chuckle, Chen Ren resumed serving the noodles, the servants smiling appreciatively as they received their portions. As he worked, he could feel Tang Yuqiu’s gaze on him, her curiosity growing with each passing moment. “What are you doing with these noodles anyway?” she finally asked, her tone laced with suspicion. “Are the bars closed or have they finally decided to kick you out due to pending tabs? Why are you here cooking these dishes?” “No,” Chen Ren replied, his tone steady as he finished handing out a bowl of noodles. “I’m not interested in bars anymore.” Tang Yuqiu blinked, clearly taken aback by his response. “You’re not?” Chen Ren shook his head. “No, I’m doing this to test out a business idea.” “Are you serious?” Chen Ren sighed, more to himself than to her. “Why does everyone think I’m not serious? Yes, I’m serious. Very serious. That’s why I developed these noodles, and I’m going to start selling them tomorrow.” Tang Yuqiu’s expression remained doubtful. “I don’t believe it.” Chen Ren’s lips curled into a confident smile. “Then come see it for yourself. Do you really think I’m just giving noodles out here for fun?” Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. She hesitated, clearly torn between disbelief and curiosity. Finally, she nodded. “Sure, I will,” she said, setting her bowl down and preparing to leave. But before she could step away, Chen Ren gently reached out and grasped her hand. Tang Yuqiu’s eyes flared with anger, her posture stiffening as she shot a glare at him. Touching her like that, especially in front of the servants, was a breach of decorum, bordering on something far more intimate. “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded. Chen Ren quickly released her hand, his expression earnest. “Let me buy ten pounds of rice from you.” “What?” “I really want to sell these noodles,” Chen Ren explained. “Right now, I’m using ingredients from the guest room kitchen, but if I’m going to sell them, I can’t keep doing that. There’s honour and ethics in business, and I want to do this the right way, unless you have fallen for my noodles and want to donate the ingredients.” Tang Yuqiu studied him for a long moment, ignoring his last few words before replying, “I won’t sell it cheap.” Chen Ren nodded, undeterred. “We can negotiate. Right now. I don’t need a lot, but if this works, we can talk about a bigger purchase.” Tang Yuqiu gave a thoughtful nod. “Let’s talk tomorrow,” she said before turning to leave, her posture more composed than before. *** Early the next morning, Chen Ren found himself standing with Tang Yuqiu in a quiet corner of the Tang Clan’s storage area, the soft light of dawn casting long shadows over the bags of rice stacked neatly along the walls. A few guards stood nearby alongside Tang Yuqiu's maid, their faces blank as they did nothing more than to add to the background. Ignoring them, he focused on the rice bags. He needed just ten pounds for now, enough to test his idea and see how the evening crowd would react to them. Tang Yuqiu watched him closely as he inspected the rice on his palms, her expression unreadable. The grains were clean, and polished to a near-perfect sheen. It was above average, at least— definitely not the cheap stuff. Setting the small sample back down, he looked up at her. As one pound was priced around four to ten copper wen depending on the quality, Chen Ren thought for a moment. “I’ll give you five copper wen per pound,” he said, his tone straightforward. Tang Yuqiu arched an eyebrow, her voice firm. “Ten copper. This rice is worth way more than what you’re offering.” Chen Ren resisted the urge to sigh. He knew this wouldn’t be easy. “It’s good quality, but ten copper is too much. Six copper per pound, and I’ll take ten pounds.” She crossed her arms, clearly not inclined to back down. “Nine copper and that’s my final offer.” Chen Ren shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “Seven copper is fair for both of us. I’m not asking for charity, just a reasonable price. Seven copper and I’ll consider this a done deal. Either way, this is probably not much for you to gather and I'm giving you a good opportunity to make a small profit. Tang Yuqiu narrowed her eyes, sensing the determination in his voice. After a long moment of silence, she relented with a slight nod. “Fine. Seven copper per pound, but don’t expect this kind of generosity next time.” Chen Ren chuckled, pleased with the outcome. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” With the negotiations settled, Chen Ren quickly weighed out ten pounds of rice and handed over the agreed amount of copper coins. As he turned to leave, he noticed the young miss watching him with an expression of mild surprise. “You’re good at this,” Tang Yuqiu remarked, almost as if she couldn’t quite believe it. “I didn't know your clan birthed merchants too.” Chen Ren offered her a modest smile. “They don't. At least not anyone I can remember. But they do have cultivators with a silver tongue who strive to get more than what's in their fate. You can think of me as one of them. Either way, I’ll see you around, young miss.” She nodded, still looking a bit stunned as he walked away, using a guard to carry the rice back to his temporary kitchen in the guest courtyard. Honestly, he didn't need any help, but he was still a guest and a cultivator, and it wouldn't look good for him to carry all that load. Though, he guessed that he was either way going to break a few cultivation conventions by selling noodles on a stall. The rest of the morning was peaceful. As it was going to be his start of the stall, he had to inform the servants he won't be giving out more noodles to them. At the same time, he needed to make sure he had everything before he ventured to the streets. He already got the permit, so he just needed to prepare the ingredients and the stall. Chen Ren soaked the rice carefully, taking his time with every batch he took to wash. He also got a few vegetables. He wasn't going to add them in the regular noodles, but he could always add more variety for more money. As the grains soaked, he turned his attention to setting up his stall. Carpentry wasn’t his strong suit, so he scoured the Tang Clan manor until he found an old, unused stall in the old storage room. It wasn’t much to look at—cheap, weathered wood with a few splinters sticking out— but it would do for now. As long as he had space to create noodles, he wouldn’t bother to complain. He hauled it back to the guest courtyard and set it up, giving it a quick once-over to ensure it was stable. Next, he paid four coppers for a set of cheap bowls. They were plain and unadorned, but they would serve their purpose. Finally, he set to work on a signboard. His drawing skills were decent, and he carefully sketched out a simple image of a steaming bowl of noodles. Below it, he wrote in neat characters: “Rice Noodles — 5 Copper Wen.” He knew that most of the population was illiterate, so the drawing would have to do most of the work. The image of the noodles, simple as it was, would hopefully catch the eye of anyone passing by. As the day went on, he felt more and more that he was ready. The stall was there, the rice noodles were prepared, and the signboard was prominently displayed. It was going to be the first evening of his first business venture in this new world. *** Chen Ren stood in the marketplace, setting up his modest stall in one of the few empty spots that were left. Tang Xiulan was by his side, helping him arrange the bowls and make sure everything was in place. It was a simple setup, nothing fancy, but it was all he needed to get started. As they finished arranging everything, Old Man Tian from the skewer stall across the way wandered over, eyeing Chen Ren’s stall. “I didn’t expect to see the young master personally selling stuff,” he said, his tone both amused and respectful. Chen Ren smiled and shrugged. “I wanted to cook, and there’s nothing better than seeing the satisfaction on people’s faces when they enjoy good food.” The old man nodded, looking around at the crude setup before asking, “So, what are you selling?” “Noodles,” Chen Ren replied simply, gesturing to the signboard with the drawing of the rice noodles. The old man squinted at the sign, clearly puzzled. “Noodles, eh? Never heard of them. How much, young master?” “Five copper per bowl, seven for vegetable rice noodles,” Chen Ren said, hopeful that the man’s curiosity might lead to a sale. But the old man shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Five copper, huh? Too much for a dish I never heard of. I think I’ll stick to my skewers.” With that, he moved back to his own stall, leaving Chen Ren and Tang Xiulan to wait. Chen Ren didn’t think of it much either. Was the noodles overpriced? Not in any way. If anything, he had observed, calculated and measured if it was worth the price they were selling. Expectedly, anyone with a brain would know that it is. After Old Man Tian returned to his stall, Chen Ren and Xiulan waited. They waited... and waited. As the minutes turned into hours, not a single customer approached their stall. The market was lively, with the other stalls busy with activity, but Chen Ren’s corner remained stubbornly quiet. He could feel the stress of each passing moment, the growing tension gnawing at the back of his mind. He couldn’t blame the crowd. His stall, with its plain appearance and lack of seating, didn’t exactly scream for attention. Plus, he was offering something completely new. A slow start was to be expected. But as the second hour dragged on without a single customer, Chen Ren’s patience began to wear thin. He glanced over at the Old Man Tian’s skewer stall, which was surrounded by people. The old man noticed him watching and with a mischievous glint in his eye, gave a smile that only served to stoke the embers of Chen Ren’s frustration. “I’ll show him how to get a stall running,” Chen Ren muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening in determination. Tang Xiulan, who had been quietly observing the situation, looked up at him with curiosity. “What are you going to do, young master?” He didn't answer right away as his mind worked. In this world, most of the online marketing stuff he knew was useless and he had to rely more on word of mouth to attract attention, but if no one tried his noodles, there was never going to be any of that. The more he thought, the more he felt like he was close to getting an idea until his expression brightened with sudden inspiration. “I have a great idea,” he said, a sly grin spreading across his face. “Once it works, Old Man Tian would change his sly grin to one of envy.”