Chapter 78: Hot Spring

Chapter 78: Hot Spring

Under normal circumstances, Qiu Huanian would have called someone over, made up an excuse, and had them bring in a screen.

But then...

Qiu Huanian's gaze quickly swept over Du Yunse's tall, straight figure, his firm, full chest, and his lean waist.

In the misty steam, his expression was unclear, adding a faint allure.

Before Du Yunse could look over, Qiu Huanian looked straight ahead, pretending to be natural as he walked into the hot spring pool in his undergarments.

The warm water soaked the soft silk, clinging to his slender shoulders, revealing a beautiful flesh tone.

Du Yunse's breathing grew heavier.

He had originally planned to go out and have someone bring in a screen or hang a curtain, but now he found himself unable to move.

Du Yunse's Adam's apple bobbed as he stepped toward the hot spring pool, only to be stopped by Qiu Huanian.

"Why don't you take off your clothes?"

"Hmm?"

Du Yunse was stunned for a moment, then chuckled hoarsely, "Brother Hua is dressed, and you want me to undress?"

Qiu Huanian pointed out matter-of-factly, "It's inconvenient to dry wet clothes. Just take off your shirt."

After saying this, he immediately buried half of his flushed face in the water, leaving only a pair of large, upturned eyes blinking above the surface.

Du Yunse chuckled lowly, his voice like a deep note sliding over the end of a string. He obediently untied the belt of his shirt, turned his back, and neatly hung it on the wooden rack behind the door.

Without the cover of clothing, his broad shoulders, tight waistline, and naturally undulating back muscles were faintly visible in the steam, filling the air with a heart-pounding dampness.

The moment Du Yunse turned around, Qiu Huanian instinctively closed his eyes, not daring to look.

He heard footsteps and the sound of water, approaching him step by step.

Then he was pulled into a familiar yet unfamiliar embrace, touching large areas of hot skin.

"Brother Hua, don't hold your breath; you'll get dizzy," Du Yunse's voice sounded as usual.

Qiu Huanian opened his eyes, then quickly shut them again.

The full, unobstructed chest muscles so close were just too—

Qiu Huanian took a breath and leaned in to nuzzle against them.

It was just too wonderful!

Du Yunse held the person in his arms, the veins on his arms standing out.

The thin layer of clothing on Qiu Huanian was almost nonexistent, and when wet, it added a different kind of allure.

If not for the last bit of reason still at play, he would have pressed this tempting and self-aware little fox against the edge of the pool and taken him right then and there.

Qiu Huanian was unaware of the danger he was in, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

Having confirmed their feelings for each other for so long, the two young men had been living under the same roof. Although they hadn't gone all the way, there had certainly been kisses, touches, and hugs in their daily lives.

However, because they were in ancient times, when the two were intimate, it was usually in the dark, wearing undergarments.

Such a scene full of allure and sensuality, Qiu Huanian was truly seeing for the first time.

The misty hot spring pool, the beautiful bodies, the intimate embrace, the muscles so close that you could see and even touch them... even the most popular first-person immersive videos of today couldn't hold a candle to this!

Qiu Huanian cleared his throat discreetly, his gaze drifting downward. Du Yunse was wearing pants, his firm waist and abdomen exposed, but unfortunately, the rippling water made it hard to see clearly.

"Brother Hua, what else do you want to see?"

"..."

Qiu Huanian's ears were burning red, fortunately concealed by the steam.

Du Yunse's voice was deep and hoarse, like a wolf prowling in the shadows, "Or... do you want me to take it all off?"

Qiu Huanian finally sensed the danger and quickly shook his head.

Although his heart was full of theoretical experience, he had never actually experienced anything like this and didn't dare to provoke Du Yunse too much here.

But such a good opportunity, to give up directly would be a pity.

Qiu Huanian teetered on the brink of danger.

He broke free from Du Yunse's embrace, drifted a few steps away, and leaned against the edge of the hot spring pool, maintaining what he thought was a safe distance.

"I want to feel your abs," Qiu Huanian quickly added, "Just a touch!"

"Come a little closer, yes, right here, stand still."

Du Yunse stood up, the water of the hot spring pool just reaching his waistline. Qiu Huanian hesitantly reached out, his fair and slender fingertips lightly touching and then covering the area.

Although Du Yunse was a scholar, he had never neglected exercise, was skilled in horsemanship, and had some martial arts training. Qiu Huanian had seen how strong his core was.

The abs under his palm were well-defined, perfectly shaped, firm, and springy. Qiu Huanian took a moment to count, first counting six, and was about to confirm if there were a seventh and eighth when the muscles under his palm suddenly tensed, making his heart race.

A large, veiny hand tightly gripped Qiu Huanian's naughty wrist.

Qiu Huanian looked up, meeting a pair of deep, inscrutable eyes.

The handsome man's lips curved slightly, "Brother Hua, why not touch something else instead."

In an instant, Qiu Huanian felt his heart and mind ignite.

Du Yunse's hint, or rather his explicit suggestion, he certainly understood.

Excitement surged from the base of his spine, and Qiu Huanian managed to squeeze out a response. The next moment, the sound of splashing water echoed through the warm room, and he had no time to think about anything else.

The sound of water was intoxicating, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions.

Du Yunse wrapped one arm around Qiu Huanian's waist, preventing him from sinking into the water. Only when Qiu Huanian's hands were sore did Du Yunse finally kiss his moist, rosy lips, marked with teeth, with satisfaction.

After their release, Qiu Huanian was too exhausted to speak, lazily hanging on Du Yunse's shoulder. Du Yunse lifted him out of the water, Qiu Huanian's legs clinging to Du Yunse's waist, refusing to let go.

Du Yunse had no option but to carry him to the door, fetch clean clothes, turn his back to let Qiu Huanian change, and then carry him to rest in the room.

Fortunately, Qiu Huanian had anticipated this and prepared more than one set of clothes, or else they would have had to leave the warm room wet.

Qiu Huanian lay on the clean kang, clutching a pillow, covered with a thin quilt. Du Yunse sat beside him, drying his hair, afraid he would catch a cold.

After a while, Qiu Huanian finally snapped out of his daze and let out a weak sigh, burying his face in the pillow.

Du Yunse, afraid he might suffocate, lifted him up.

Qiu Huanian didn't dare to look at his face, hugging the pillow and rolling over, taking the blanket with him to the inner side of the bed.

He couldn't help but recall the pulsating sensation in the hot spring, along with the astonishing shape and size. His fair toes curled involuntarily, and he shivered slightly.

When that day really comes, he... he might just be finished on the bed...

Qiu Huanian hugged the pillow, lost in his thoughts for a while, then suddenly asked out of nowhere, "Is the successful candidates' list announced after the provincial exam or the palace exam?"

Du Yunse was momentarily stunned, then chuckled softly, "When does Brother Hua think it should be?"

If it's after the provincial exam, it would be this autumn; if after the palace exam, it would be next spring.

The night of the wedding chamber and the moment of the successful candidates' list.

The time is not far off.

Qiu Huanian's face flushed, but after the initial panic, he couldn't deny the anticipation.

...

After that day, Qiu Huanian deliberately lightened his schedule, slowing down a bit, but things still proceeded smoothly under his direction.

Among all the tasks, the first priority was naturally the banquet. Now was the most opportune time for networking. If it were too long after being granted the title of Township Lord, people might think he was being arrogant.

Qiu Huanian wrote invitations and had Jin San deliver them personally to each household. He also invited Huang Daniang to be the lead chef and finalized the banquet menu.

Two or three days later, the invitations were replied to one by one. Twenty-three households agreed to attend the banquet, while others politely declined with appropriate reasons.

Qiu Huanian began arranging the seating, placing those of similar status and good relations together.

For him, these tasks were second nature. As a former public relations officer in a large company, developing and maintaining friendly media relations was one of his strengths. Applying that to the ancient noble families wasn't much different.

Given Qiu Huanian's age and status, those who replied to attend the banquet were all younger generations, with no elders. The highest status was Su Xinyao, and the more notable one was Min Leyi from the headmaster's family of Qingfeng Academy.

Min Leyi had previously made a name for himself by getting into a brawl at a banquet hosted by the Liaozhou Inspector's family. Since then, banquets in Xiangping Prefecture had made a point to exclude him, but Qiu Huanian sent him an invitation.

The Liaozhou Inspector's family, who had a grudge against Min Leyi over a cat, wouldn't be attending, and Su Xinyue was still under house arrest, so there was no need to worry about conflicts.

Besides arranging the guests, the host also needed to dress appropriately.

Su Xinbai handed over a box of jewelry to the knowledgeable steward of the Zhu family to sell, exchanging it for thirty taels of silver, which he then gave to Qiu Huanian.

Qiu Huanian now received a monthly stipend and could also earn money from business, so he was quite well-off. He took the whole family to a well-regarded tailor shop in the city to buy clothes.

The tailor shop allowed them to choose styles and designs for custom-made clothes or select ready-made ones to adjust the size.

With time being tight, Qiu Huanian chose the latter.

He and Du Yunse selected two outfits with matching colors and embroidery, essentially matching outfits.

The main fabric was high-quality jade-green brocade adorned with cloud patterns. Du Yunse ordered a Taoist robe, covered with a semi-transparent white crane cloak, while Qiu Huanian chose a top and skirt set, paired with a buttoned jacket, with narcissus flowers embroidered on the collar.

When the two emerged wearing the clothes and had the shop assistants measure and adjust the sizes, everyone in the shop was stunned.

Even after doing business in Xiangping Prefecture for so many years and having seen countless beauties and noble ladies, they had never seen such striking figures.

They were truly a match made in heaven, a divine couple.

Jiu Jiu picked a faded red traditional dress with a gold-sprinkled upper garment featuring flared sleeves, embroidered with spring flowers on the collar and cuffs, looking both adorable and lively when worn.

Chun Sheng chose a narrow-sleeved, waist-tightening robe with black brocade embroidered with golden tiger and leopard patterns, somewhat resembling a ceremonial robe. Once Chun Sheng put it on, he seemed to grow a few inches taller.

The shopkeepers took their measurements, noted their addresses, and agreed to deliver the altered clothes within three days.

All four outfits were made of luxurious high-quality satin with intricate embroidery, both stunning and costly.

The total cost for the four outfits was twelve taels of silver, nearly the price of a rural brick house.

In the past, Qiu Huanian couldn't even afford cotton cloth from the town's shops, but now, spending over ten taels on clothes felt effortless.

After the clothing shop, there was still more to do. Qiu Huanian took everyone to the neighboring jewelry store.

Qiu Huanian didn't like wearing excessive jewelry, so he only chose a jade-inlaid gold hairpin and a pair of pearl earrings for himself, just enough to avoid looking too simple.

Jiu Jiu picked two hairpins, one with magnolia and the other with gardenia. The finest hairpins were crafted with costly silk threads, gleaming with elegance, and their prices were no lower than ordinary gold and silver jewelry.

Qiu Huanian also chose a gold-plated armlet, an eight-treasure necklace, and a pair of white jade earrings shaped like lily of the valley for her.

Jiu Jiu felt overwhelmed by the generosity, but Qiu Huanian told her to just wear them.

Jiu Jiu loved beauty, and Qiu Huanian enjoyed dressing her up. Buying new clothes and jewelry for his young companion and making her look beautiful also made Qiu Huanian happy.

The total cost for these jewelry pieces was eight taels of silver, and more than half of the thirty taels had already been spent.

Next, they set up a colorful canopy in the courtyard, purchased ingredients, snacks, tea, wine... adding up to the last ten taels being spent.

A modest banquet cost thirty taels of silver, and Qiu Huanian felt what it was like to spend money freely, as the wealthy do.

Fortunately, with his rising status, the more he spent, the more opportunities he had to earn money.

On the day of the banquet, Du Yunse took time off from Qingfeng Academy to accompany Qiu Huanian in receiving guests.

Early in the morning, old lady Jin and Jin San cleaned the courtyard thoroughly and double-checked that everything was in order.

With experience from handling banquets at the southern magistrate's residence, they were familiar with the process, which was the benefit of experience.

Huang Daniang and Huang Erniang also arrived early. This was a significant event for Qiu Huanian, and the sisters even paused their business at Xianwei Residence for a day to help.

Huang Daniang was the head chef, while Huang Erniang skillfully assisted. Wei Li and Granny Wei couldn't just stand by and also helped in the kitchen.

After the hour of Si (9-11 AM), guests started arriving in succession. Old lady Jin gracefully welcomed the guests inside, while Jin San directed the carriages to park on the back street.

The reception hall in the first courtyard and the two flower halls in the second courtyard were set up with tea for the guests to rest and chat.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse were busy talking with the guests, Jiu Jiu kept the younger guests amused, and Chun Sheng followed closely behind.

Meng Yuanling also came to help. He was lively, cheerful, and good at conversation. With Qiu Huanian's introduction, he quickly warmed up to some of the guests.

Some who valued their status greeted Qiu Huanian and then found a place to sit and chat with their acquaintances.

Others, eager to please Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse, stayed close to them, engaging in conversation. Qiu Huanian took note of everyone, observing everything.

In the main courtyard, a colorful canopy was set up with five rented exquisite huanghuali wood carved tables and chairs, ready to host the guests.

A few tables were also placed in the open space in front of the servants' quarters to accommodate the servants brought by the guests.

Jiu Jiu led the younger guests to the swings in the front courtyard, with the help of Zhu Xian and Su Xinyao, everyone got along well and was friendly.

Those who hadn't known Qiu Huanian's family well before now couldn't help but admire Jiu Jiu, and some even started to inquire about her, but Qiu Huanian firmly declined.

What a joke! Jiu Jiu was just over ten years old, and he couldn't bear the thought of parting with her. Even considering an engagement was absolutely out of the question!

Though Du Yunse remained silent, he shared the same sentiment, so those with such ideas had to drop them.

Everyone who came to the banquet brought congratulatory gifts. Meng Yuanling offered to help register and catalog the gifts, which were temporarily stored in the warehouse for later review.

In addition to formal gifts, Min Leyi also brought numerous cat toys. After exchanging a few words at the entrance, he went straight to Cream Frost. The other noblewomen avoided conversation with him, which suited him just fine.

A few days before the banquet, Min Taikang, the headmaster of Qingfeng Academy, after much deliberation, swallowed his pride and approached Du Yunse, asking him to speak favorably of his husband and mentor Min Leyi.

Qiu Huanian found the situation amusing and decided to invite Min Leyi for a private chat later.

Min Taikang was the current principal of Du Yunse's school. He had always held Du Yunse in high regard and looked out for him, so Qiu Huanian felt obliged to honor his request.

At lunchtime, the main event arrived.

Ever since Huang Daniang got her hands on oyster sauce, she had been utterly enchanted by it. Based on Qiu Huanian's descriptions, she had perfected several dishes that showcased the unique qualities of oyster sauce.

The tantalizing aroma drifting from the kitchen had already piqued the interest of many guests.

The more reserved guests held back, but the bolder ones, familiar with Qiu Huanian, couldn't resist asking.

Qiu Huanian teased, "This is a personal seasoning I created, incredibly flavorful and versatile in many dishes. This time, I've specially brought it out to treat everyone."

Qiu Huanian emphasized that it was private, meaning it wasn't for sale, and those who asked felt a twinge of disappointment.

They knew that the currently popular Qiu's red fermented tofu in the prefecture was developed by Qiu Huanian.

After Qiu's red fermented tofu opened up the market in Xiangping Prefecture, several merchants near the capital bought the recipe and entered the business, but neither the taste nor the sales matched Qiu's.

If the new seasoning was also sold like the red fermented tofu, they could take it home.

After tasting the delicious dishes at the banquet, more people felt this regret.

Many dishes they usually ate, but with the addition of the seasoning called oyster sauce, the taste immediately became different.

Even the finest seafood didn't have this kind of deliciousness!

After tasting dishes enhanced with oyster sauce, their previous meals seemed bland by comparison.

Some gourmands couldn't resist urging Qiu Huanian to commercialize the oyster sauce.

Qiu Huanian smiled evasively, neither confirming nor denying.

Since it's about hunger marketing, the appetite must be whetted from the very beginning.

Qiu Huanian not agreeing to sell the oyster sauce would instead make those who tasted the deliciousness today remember it even more, treating it as a novel and precious experience, spreading the word.

This is the same path as those modern foreign luxury brands. They could produce a lot, but they choose to limit the quantity and restrict purchases by status, making people chase after premium products.

Compared to those flashy but insubstantial luxury goods, Qiu Huanian's oyster sauce at least has a solid usage and is genuinely delicious.

After the lunch banquet, the tables were cleared, and the guests chatted and played in the courtyard for a while, only leaving after the afternoon.

Qiu Huanian was so tired he couldn't stand. He let Jin San and the others take care of cleaning up the courtyard, took off his outer clothes, and half-leaned on the kang to look at the gifts received today.

The gifts brought by the banquet attendees were far more lavish than before, including spices, silk, decorative screens, and even high-quality writing materials (ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones).

The total value of all the gifts exceeded the cost of hosting the banquet.

However, this also meant that in the future, when they invited Qiu Huanian to their own banquets, he would have to bring gifts of similar value.

Many families stored the gifts they received and only brought them out when needed to give to others, just acting as a middleman.

With many scholars in the household, Qiu Huanian took out the writing materials for use and kept a beautifully crafted Suzhou embroidered screen on the kang, storing the rest in the storeroom to keep them safe.

Just as Qiu Huanian expected, the name of oyster sauce (a rich, savory condiment) spread quickly through the upper circles of Xiangping Prefecture within just a few days.

With Qiu Huanian's deliberate promotion, it quickly became the talk of the town, like some kind of magical elixir, and not having tasted it was considered a great regret in life.

Many people, both openly and covertly, sent messages to Qiu Huanian hoping to obtain some oyster sauce. Some even tracked down Huang Daniang, the head chef from that day, hoping to get some insider info from her.

Since Qiu Huanian had clearly stated the two characters for oyster sauce, some attempted to replicate it using oysters.

However, few among them had actually tasted the dishes from the banquet, and none had seen the finished product of the black, viscous oyster sauce, making it a total mystery how to recreate it.

They could only waste materials in vain, never succeeding.

After letting the situation simmer for about ten days, the invitations started pouring in, and Qiu Huanian finally gave in, though he made it seem like a big deal.

He took out fifty taels of silver (a significant sum at the time) from his savings and bought a shop measuring about forty square meters in a bustling area of Xiangping Prefecture.

Shops were more expensive than main houses, and prime spots were tough to find. However, upon hearing that Qiu Huanian intended to sell oyster sauce, plenty of well-off folks were eager to cut him a deal, hoping he would open soon.

Qiu Huanian was in no hurry. He shelled out another twenty taels of silver to buy a small courtyard in a remote part of the city to set up as an oyster sauce workshop. He also arranged with a merchant he had chatted with at the banquet, who had a large fishing boat by the sea, to purchase oysters in bulk.

After all these expenses, a big chunk of the family's savings was wiped out, but Qiu Huanian finally had his own business.

The ownership of the shop and the courtyard naturally belonged to Qiu Huanian, as the Yu Dynasty laws didn't meddle in private property matters.

Qiu Huanian had Jin San 'rent' the places from him as a formality, opening the shop and workshop in his name. However, since Jin San's deed was in Qiu Huanian's hands, the business was always really Qiu Huanian's.

This clever move let him dodge the whole merchant status hassle.

In fact, the laws of the Yu Dynasty allowed servants to engage in business, which was essentially a backdoor for the nobility.

Only ordinary people were restricted by merchant status, and even if they prospered in business, they could never escape the merchant identity for generations.

With the courtyard purchased and the raw materials in place, the actual production process was set to begin.

The first step in making oyster sauce was to extract the oyster meat from the shells, then clean it thoroughly with a brush to ensure there were no black impurities.

This was the step that took the most time and effort. Qiu Huanian hired several guaranteed individuals living nearby to do this job.

Next, the oyster meat was chopped, placed in a pot with water and salt, and boiled for several hours. The oyster meat would gradually shrink, and the liquid in the pot would turn into a dark brown, viscous substance.

At this point, the pot contained the simplest handmade oyster sauce juice, but Qiu Huanian, who was all about the details, naturally did not stop there.

In modern times, he was famous for his thoroughness, never skimping when he could go all out, which helped him stand out in a competitive environment.

Although there was no MSG in ancient times to enhance the flavor of the oyster sauce, there were plenty of other spices.

Qiu Huanian wrote down a recipe for the spices he could gather from memory, experimented and adjusted several times, and finally determined the best ratio.

The third step was to boil the spices into a juice, mix it with the filtered oyster juice, and then boil it again in the pot until it reached a thick, syrupy consistency. It was then poured into bottles and left to cool.

Like red fermented tofu, the essence and secret of the entire recipe also lie in the spice ratio. Without cracking the spice formula, even copying the other steps won't produce the same delicious oyster sauce.

Qiu Huanian learned his lesson and became more focused on the "uniqueness" of his products after the leak of the Sorghum Candy recipe.

This uniqueness not only refers to the product itself but also to the external added value.

For example, status boost, bundled sales, and limited-time offers are all common strategies.

Qiu Huanian is now a Township Lord personally appointed by the emperor, so he no longer needs to worry about offending people or encountering unfavorable situations.

If he encounters someone who doesn't know better, he can just step back and show the imperial decree.

After the first batch of oyster sauce was made, the shop Qiu Huanian bought was also simply renovated.

He opened the calendar and chose a lucky day to open the shop.

Du Yunse once again wrote the shop's plaque, with bold, traditional calligraphy carved by skilled craftsmen onto black lacquered solid wood, topped with bright red silk.

With the crackle of firecrackers, the red silk dropped, unveiling the new shop's name to the gathered crowd.