Chapter 1: A young lady has taken a liking to you

He smiled and said to Li Erniang: "Since Miss Zhou is both a beauty of the nation and comes from a wealthy family, being virtuous and kind, I am not worthy of her. It is indeed a burden for you, Erniang. Look, it just happens to be mealtime. If you don't mind, why not have a simple meal before you leave"

Li Erniang is a renowned matchmaker in the vicinity, known for her eloquence. Today, she stands right across from him, her smile as charming as a flower, scrutinizing him, causing Qin Shaoyou to involuntarily feel a hint of chill.

However, upon taking the first bite of the dish, Qin Shaoyou became furious. He abruptly set down his chopsticks, slammed the table, and shouted, "What kind of nonsense is this? How can such a thing be served to people? No wonder the restaurant is poorly managed; it all makes sense now!"

Based on Qin Shaoyou's years of experience in enduring beatings, this fellow seems to be on the verge of a violent outburst

"Those who have read books are indeed those who have read books." Li Erniang appeared quite pleased, twisting her body as she leaned on the counter to gaze at Qin Shaoyou, and continued, "It's just different; no wonder Miss Zhou has taken a liking to you. Miss Zhou, as you know, is beautiful like a flower, stunning enough to topple nations. Tsk tsk... Let me tell you the truth, she hasn't looked at anyone else, she just thinks that Qin Ge'er is the most to her liking. That's why her father entrusted me with this task, to bring about a good match and achieve a wonderful union.

Young Master Qin, named Qin Shaoyou, recently lost his parents and is still in mourning. He inherited the family business, which is this Spring Wine House. When Qin's father was alive, he had high hopes for this young man and specifically hired someone to teach him to read. The Four Books and Five Classics are all mastered by Qin Shaoyou. However, behind his back, some people call him a bookworm and criticize him, saying that he is like a toad wishing to eat swan meat

Li Erniang immediately sneered, her eyes sharp as knives, wishing she could skewer Qin Shaoyou: "Ha... your restaurant should close down, it is simply unjust for it to remain open. Have you even looked at what you are serving your customers? The slop is better than what you provide. Hey... your Qin family will never rise again, it would be better to honestly marry Miss Zhou and live a life of complacency than to be homeless and destitute. If you refuse to listen to advice, you will surely regret it."

Qin Shaoyou came to his senses, first looking at Li Erniang in a daze, and then a wave of memories immediately surged to his mind

For the past two days, Qin Shaoyou had been entangled in the unscientific issue of time travel. Now, faced with a dilemma, he suddenly recalled his situation from the memories of his former bookish self

Li Erniang was dressed flamboyantly, her chubby face smeared with rouge, resembling a monkey's bottom. With her barrel-shaped waist, she swayed as she walked. Upon arriving in front of the Chunjiu Restaurant, she wrinkled her nose but then smiled again

A scholar encounters a soldier

Thus, he could only shrug his head, pick up the chopsticks, and say: "Alright, alright, let's eat first, I'm hungry"

Qin Shaoyou could only learn to imitate the manner of this era, and he greeted Li Erniang, saying: "Greetings, Li Erniang. I wonder if you have any guidance for me"

Qin Shaoyou's face turned red; it turned out that Li Erniang was simply here to add insult to injury. Knowing that he was about to become a fallen noble and that the daughter of the Zhou family could not get married, she had finally found a way to vent her frustrations on him

Qin Shaoyou was so overwhelmed with happiness that he felt faint. He had only heard of men pursuing women, but never of women pursuing men. Is this guy really that charming?

At that moment, the curtain connecting the hall was drawn open, revealing a chubby fellow carrying a basin of vegetables.

Faced with Qin Shou's aggressive demeanor, Qin Shaoyou's mind was flooded with memories. In his childhood, every time he encountered this cousin, he would be pinned to the ground and beaten. No wonder there was discord among the brothers; it turned out there was a historical grudge. It is also no surprise that this Qin Shou, as a cook, was not afraid of his employer. Just imagine, if there were someone who frequently beat you up, would he still hold you in any regard?

Qin Shaoyou's face turned red; he had been in a daze these past few days. He had not realized this issue, but upon reflection, he discovered that he was completely broke

Upon hearing this, Qin Shou not only did not feel intimidated, but instead became invigorated. He shook the fat on his belly and shouted, "Boss, you owe me money. I came to calculate it for you. Since the leap month, my wages have not been paid. Two hundred coins a month, let me calculate... it has now been..."

Li Erniang could not help but feel dejected, finding fault with Qin Shaoyou in every way. Moreover, she had long heard that the food at Chunjiu Restaurant was unpalatable, which made her somewhat reluctant. Just as she was about to refuse, Qin Shaoyou had already walked out from behind the counter and arrived at the table, only to see Qin Shou looking sullen, forcefully slamming the bowls and dishes in his hand onto the table.

Li Erniang entered while holding a handkerchief. This restaurant was quite peculiar; at noon, there were hardly any diners, and it was remarkably quiet. Upon entering, she found that it was indeed deserted inside, with only a young man resting his head on the counter, lost in thought.

Although Qin Shaoyou harbored such thoughts in his heart, he did not dare to provoke this 'master chef.' Qin Shaoyou's momentum weakened slightly: "Qin Shou, please do not be angry. I was merely speaking casually. Look, we are still cousins; we should reason things out."

A tiger falling to the plains is bullied by dogs

When confronted directly, Li Erniang did not get angry; instead, a feigned admiration appeared in her eyes as she smiled and said: "Everyone says that Qin Ge'er is clever and bright, and it seems that this is indeed the case. However, this Miss Zhou not only has a decent appearance, cough cough... but she is also rare in her virtuous and gentle nature, with a temperament that is simply the best."

Oh... there are only eight...

As Qin Shaoyou recalled carefully, he immediately frowned. "Could it be Miss Zhou from Wuma Street?"

As she twisted her hourglass figure, she approached the young man, her unique voice ringing out: "Oh, Young Master Qin, are you studying in silence? Everyone in the neighborhood knows how much you love to read. Truly a good temperament, and you are handsome as well. With such good looks, I wonder how many young ladies would search high and low for someone like you."

Qin Shaoyou was infuriated upon hearing that Qin Shou wanted him to sell off the family business. As someone who had traveled through time, he had finally established a family legacy, and he was counting on him to be a wealthy second-generation heir. How could he ask him to sell off the foundation of their wealth? What kind of cousin was he, if not someone trying to undermine him?

Qin Shaoyou's head is getting bigger, what era is this? This is the prosperous Tang Dynasty, no, it is said that the great Tang has already ended, now it is the world of the Great Zhou, who is the current emperor again? Oh, Wu Zetian, in short, it is undoubtedly the wicked old society, as the landlord, isn't it only natural to oppress you? How dare you even ask for wages?

This chubby young man is named Qin Shou, a distant cousin of Qin Shaoyou. Lacking a means of livelihood, he was recruited as a cook. When Qin's father was alive, he refused to let Qin Shaoyou learn cooking, insisting instead that he focus on his studies, while Qin Shou was always relegated to assisting him. Despite Qin Shou's seemingly simple appearance, he is quite shrewd. Observing that the tavern was struggling to stay afloat and that there had been no wages for several months, he began to harbor considerable resentment. He could not help but look down on his cousin Qin Shaoyou, believing that he was wasting his time on studies instead of learning practical skills, which he deemed a disgrace to the Qin family.

In fact, Qin Shaoyou was just lost in thought, not reciting anything, but rather wandering in his mind. In his previous life, Qin Shaoyou was a gourmet, traveling to various places and enjoying a prestigious reputation in the culinary world. However, for some unknown reason, he suddenly found himself inhabiting the body of a bookworm. It had only been a day or two, and he had yet to come to his senses when Li Erniang came knocking at his door.

What a close call, what a close call... Qin Shaoyou felt relieved. The fact that he had already crossed over was hard to accept; if he were to be tricked by this matchmaker into marrying an unattractive woman with no feelings involved, what would be the point of living? There would be no justice in this world.

As soon as Qin Shou brought the dishes, Qin Shaoyou felt hungry. For the past few days, he had been in a daze, merely eating some plain steamed buns to pass the time. Now, having finally returned to reality, his stomach began to rumble.

It is quite unexpected that one would come to propose marriage in such a manner

Qin Shaoyou shook his head and said, "But she is ultimately still a cripple."

Li Erniang is not wrong; this restaurant is the ancestral business of the Qin family, which has been their livelihood since the eighth generation of ancestors. Who would have thought that in the generation of Qin Shaoyou, it has come to this point? In the past, Qin Shaoyou only knew how to study, reciting the Four Books and Five Classics with great proficiency, yet he was utterly ignorant of managing this restaurant. As a result, the restaurant has become increasingly difficult to sustain, and out of necessity, he has had to incur debts to survive the crisis. Now, he owes more than seventy taels of silver, and bankruptcy and repayment are imminent. It is no wonder that at this time, Li Erniang has come to make a last-ditch effort on behalf of the Zhou family. It seems that the Zhou family is also in the restaurant business. Clearly, their intervention is not only aimed at seizing his ancestral business but also at taking away his virginity.

Qin Shaoyou's expression changed, and based on the memories of his master, he already knew who it was. He said seriously: "But I have heard that she has a limp, is a cripple, and her appearance is also quite ordinary"

Qin Shaoyou could no longer endure it, suddenly standing up with a fierce expression, his gaze in that instant had already killed Qin Shou hundreds of times. He shouted sternly: "All you think about is money, money, money, money, money. A person must have faith; without faith, what is the difference between a person and a salted fish?"

Li Erniang's expression turned somewhat unpleasant: "His family has a large business, possesses wealth, and the dowry is substantial"

Qin Shaoyou immediately felt insulted: "So you think being rich is impressive? I have money too, just look..." He reached into his sleeve and pulled out many coins onto the counter, one, two... three... seven... eight...

Oh... that's not right

When Qin Shou saw his cousin cease hostilities, he felt as if he were a victorious general, just about to take a seat

Originally, Li Erniang intended to leave, but upon seeing the two cousins embroiled in a dispute, she instead refused to depart, merely leaning against the counter with a cold gaze, watching the commotion, embodying a demeanor that seemed to revel in the chaos.

Qin Shaoyou was filled with deep indignation; his nature was always one of defiance. He glared at Li Erniang and, with an unyielding spirit, declared: "Who says the tavern is destined to close? Who says I cannot achieve success? How absurd!"

Qin Shou said: "Who is reasoning with you? Even biological brothers settle accounts clearly. I suggest that we quickly sell this restaurant, calculate my wages, and let everyone find their own way to make a living"

At this point in time, there were no customers arriving. Qin Shou also cooked two dishes, bringing them to a pair of brothers to make do with.

He picked up the dish, which was dark and difficult to identify. Qin Shaoyou, having tasted the finest delicacies of the world in his past life, was not very familiar with the culinary characteristics of this era. Thus, he cautiously placed the dish into his mouth

It is unclear whether Li Erniang's eloquent words are a compliment or a satire towards him

Upon seeing the young man, Li Erniang's eyes lit up

Li Erniang's patience had clearly run out, her face contorted with anger as she crossed her arms over her waist: "Listen, calling you Young Master Qin was to give you some face, but do you really intend to open a dyeing workshop? Others may not know your background, but I certainly do. Ever since your father passed away, you, the bookworm, have mismanaged this tavern and have already accumulated a mountain of debt. This tavern will inevitably close down. As for the books you read, they are not worth a dime; your Qin family has relied on this tavern for eight generations, yet has anyone from your lineage ever succeeded in scholarly pursuits? Dragons give birth to dragons, and phoenixes give birth to phoenixes; do you think you can rise to greatness? I foresee that you will soon have to sell your family business to pay off your debts, and from then on, you will be living a life of hardship. At this point, what are you still boasting about? To be frank, the Zhou family only looks upon you favorably because they are giving you a lifeline; once you miss this opportunity, there will be no second chance."

Qin Shou began to gasp for breath.

Li Erniang said with a joyful expression: "Yes, yes, it is her."

Qin Shaoyou, seeing Qin Shou's demeanor, could not help but complain: "What kind of behavior is this? It looks as if I owe you money!"