Chapter 48

Chapter 48

...

Sun Miao’s chest burned with anger. She had grown up here—wasn’t it normal for her to be around?

Unlike that girl, always throwing herself at Jiming every chance she got.

"Are you here for Han Lingling or Jiming? Don’t kid yourself—Jiming would never look twice at you." Sun Miao’s chest ached dully, and her words grew increasingly thoughtless. "Don’t mistake Aunt Jiang’s politeness for affection. She might let you tag along with Lingling, but if you dare set your sights on Jiming, the Han family won’t let you off."

Fortunately, Xu Meng wasn’t the type to be shaken by malicious words.

Thanks to the Xu family—and Granny Xue.

Years of putting up with insults had honed her ability to recognize malice in speech. Sun Miao alone, let alone her entire family, was no match for Granny Xue’s razor-sharp tongue. All those years of being berated hadn’t driven her insane; instead, they’d made her thicker-skinned than most.

Xu Meng rolled her eyes. Stooping to her level wasn’t worth it.

Sure enough, seeing Xu Meng refuse to engage, Sun Miao puffed up like a blowfish, ready to burst but with no one to pop her.

Seriously? Is this how you argue?

Sun Miao was furious. "Why aren’t you saying anything?"

Xu Meng gave another exaggerated eye-roll.

Sun Miao: "Cat got your tongue?"

Xu Meng glanced at her, then went back to ignoring her in favor of the TV.

Well, now Sun Miao was really fuming. "You’re obviously here for Han Jiming, aren’t you? Don’t play dumb—I know exactly what you’re after."

Xu Meng still didn’t respond. Why bother with someone straight out of a villainess playbook?

Sun Miao’s emotions finally exploded. "Xu Meng, say something! I don’t know what you’re here for, but Han Jiming isn’t someone you can just fantasize about."

This time, Xu Meng reacted—with a flat, unimpressed "Oh."

Sun Miao was about to retort when she suddenly sensed something wrong. There was someone behind her.

This was the Han family’s inner courtyard. Aside from the housekeeper, only family members were supposed to be here.

No matter who it was, hearing her words now would ruin her image. Slowly, she turned around—and sure enough, there stood Han Jiming, his face stormy with disapproval. Though his expression showed no outright anger, his eyes were filled with unmistakable disgust. Just like in the past, no matter how much she kissed up to him, all she ever got was cold disdain.

Talk about self-sabotage, Xu Meng thought, fighting back a smirk.

She had no idea why this girl held such hostility toward her. It was like she was some two-bit villainess wannabe.

Han Jiming didn’t spare Sun Miao another glance. Instead, he spoke to Xu Meng, who was still seated inside. "Sorry for the wait."

Xu Meng shook her head. "No big deal. Just a little loud over here."

A bit what?

A bit noisy!

Sun Miao, already humiliated beyond words and wishing the floor would swallow her whole, turned around just in time to hear Xu Meng’s sarcastic remark. Frantic, she turned pleading eyes to Han Jiming, lips parting as if to explain.

Han Jiming shut her down. "Leave."

He spoke very gently, and he even pushed open another door.

Yeah, he didn’t even bother with an "excuse me."

Seeing Sun Miao about to cry, Xu Meng couldn’t resist a smug grin.

But she quickly caught herself, wiping the grin off her face—though her lips still twitched upward, leaving her with a mischievous, half-smiling expression that only made her look even more adorable. Han Jiming resisted the urge to pat her head and instead gestured for her to come out.

Such a little troublemaker.

Xu Meng hurried outside and only burst into laughter once she was alone.

It was downright hilarious—the way Sun Miao’s expression had changed so dramatically. If Han Jiming hadn’t been there, she would’ve rambled on and on about Sun Miao’s embarrassment. It was a textbook case of social suicide.

"Don’t let what she said get to you. That’s her for you, which is why I don’t like talking to her either," Han Jiming quickly distanced himself from Sun Miao, handing Xu Meng a few documents he’d retrieved. "She lived with her grandparents as a child. After her grandmother passed away, she had nowhere to go. When my father found out, knowing her parents worked here, he took pity on them for the difficulty of raising a child and had them bring her over. He even got her a job at the state-run kindergarten. She was only three or four back then, pretty cute, too. But somewhere along the way, she became… this."

Recalling how Sun Miao had been when she first arrived, Han Jiming shook his head.

When had that sweet little girl become so calculating and bitter?

Back then, Han Cheng had just been brought over too. The two of them, seemingly bonded by shared hardship, had gotten along well and grown quite close.

Xu Meng murmured a quiet "Oh," though her mind was elsewhere.

"I was also left with relatives as a child—my current mom. At first, the Xu family treated me well, but later, things changed. People change. You learn to live with it."

It was the first time she’d shared her background with Han Jiming, and she felt oddly lighthearted, shrugging as she added, "That time I mentioned my stepfather? Later, my mom divorced him. Now, it’s just the two of us living together."

Han Jiming was momentarily stunned. "You didn’t turn out twisted. That’s rare."

Xu Meng grinned. "You bet!"

Han Jiming lowered his gaze to look at her. "You were cuter than her even as a kid."

What kind of comment was that? Xu Meng tilted her head to study him, but Han Jiming just grinned, hands in his pockets as he gazed into the distance, his gaze steady and reassuring.

Xu Meng had fallen seriously ill as a child, and after recovering, she’d forgotten a lot of the details.

The "childhood" Han Jiming mentioned—she hardly remembered any of it.

But now, she had a feeling she must’ve known him back then. Maybe he’d already taken a liking to her.

Was that why he was so nice to her now?

This guy really judges by first impressions. What if she’d turned out twisted over the years?

After Xu Meng left, Sun Miao bolted from her humiliation, only to run into Jiang Huiqi the moment she turned around.

This season, Jiang Huiqi had on a black cashmere sweater that accentuated her graceful figure and elegant demeanor. Sun Miao couldn’t help but think of her own mother—the same age, yet Jiang Huiqi rarely stepped into the kitchen. With her privileged background and good marriage, she had the air of someone who’d never known hardship.

Auntie Li had once told her, "Look at Auntie Jiang, then look at me. Think about when we were young—I’m only two years older than her. Can you tell now? With an opportunity like yours, you must marry into a family like the Hans. That’s your only shot at a good life."

Sun Miao’s heart ached. Her mother only cared about marrying well, as if that alone guaranteed happiness.

But had she ever considered Sun Miao’s feelings? She loved Han Jiming, not Han Cheng.

No matter how you looked at it, Han Cheng couldn’t compare to Han Jiming. Yet she knew all too well—with her parents retired and their exit far from graceful—if Han Cheng hadn’t still acknowledged her, she’d never have stepped foot into the Han family estate again.

Jiang Huiqi asked, "I heard Xu Meng was here earlier. Did you see her?"

Sun Miao nodded, "Auntie Jiang..."

Jiang Huiqi said indifferently, "I hear you're seeing Han Cheng now. Shouldn't that change how you address me?"

Sun Miao looked at her in shock, "What did Han Cheng tell you?"

She hadn't even accepted Han Cheng's courtship yet—at most, he was still pursuing her. Did he get the wrong idea? How could he say such things to others? Could Han Jiming's attitude earlier be because he knew about her relationship with Han Cheng? Was Han Jiming deliberately bringing Xu Meng to provoke her?

She zoned out briefly.

Jiang Huiqi frowned, "While I don't know the details between you and Han Cheng, we’re treating you as his girlfriend. If you want to say you’re just friends or something, don’t let the old man hear it. Han Cheng is his only nephew, and the old man is conservative in his thinking at his age. If you’re together, you’re together. If not, don’t lead him on. Even I can tell Han Cheng likes you—don’t treat his genuine feelings like dirt. People’s feelings can wear thin."

Sun Miao’s face flushed red with anger.

What was this? Trying to force her into Han Cheng's arms?

And what's with the holier-than-thou attitude?

Jiang Huiqi glanced at her, shook her head, and turned to walk inside.

At the end of the day, everyone makes their own choices. She had watched Sun Miao grow up and hoped she could live well.

Han Cheng might not achieve great wealth, but he could certainly provide a stable life. He's a college grad with a good job, after all. Being with him wouldn’t be beneath her. But looking at Sun Miao, she'd always had eyes only for Han Jiming—she had no room for anyone else.

But Han Jiming was proud. If he never took to someone as a kid, would he suddenly like them as an adult?

Jiang Huiqi knew this well, which was why, despite Sun Miao’s flaws, she advised her to treat Han Cheng better. But hoping for her to come around was too difficult—she likely wouldn't stick with Han Cheng either.

Inside, Han Shuping had just returned from the old man’s place. Seeing his wife enter, he asked, "How'd it go?"

Jiang Huiqi shook her head, "She clearly thinks she's too good for Han Cheng. I said a few more words, and her expression made it seem like we were bullies forcing a marriage. Seems we're just spinning our wheels. Now we can only hope Grandpa takes it well."

The old man was against Han Cheng being with Sun Miao.

But Han Cheng was acting like some rebellious teen—the more you opposed him, the more stubborn he became.

They'd just had a blow-up, and the old man nearly had a heart attack. Han Cheng stormed out in anger.

Han Shuping said, "It’s not that Dad opposes him being with the Sun girl. But having watched her grow up, he sees her character and abilities clearly. He's dead certain she'll be bad for Han Cheng. I can’t persuade him either, so let it be. He won't learn until he gets his heart broken."

Jiang Huiqi sneered, "Let them sort it out. I’m not worried—Sun Miao won’t marry Han Cheng."

Han Shuping raised an eyebrow, not understanding her meaning.

Jiang Huiqi said, "I just sounded her out. She's ready to drop Han Cheng. If she dislikes him so much, why come to our house? Let’s not interfere anymore. We’ve raised him and given him what he needs. As for the kind of wife he chooses, uncles and cousins should butt out."

Han Shuping thought his wife’s decision was right and was willing to unconditionally support and follow her lead.

He patted her shoulder, "Alright then. I won’t say anything to Han Cheng either. Young folks' business is their own."

——————

In the catering business, Zhang Mingqing already had ample experience.

After all the seasonings were prepared in the shop, everyone turned their attention to Xu Meng.

With all the ingredients ready, Xu Meng tied on her apron and entered the kitchen. The assistant chef had already lit the stove, cleaned the pan, and sliced the beef tallow into thin strips as she instructed. Xu Meng placed the tallow into the pan and added a spoonful of water.

Rendering beef tallow was a lengthy process, and some steps could be handled by the assistant chef.

Zhang Mingqing assigned Song Xia to handle marketing, while the kitchen was put in charge of a young man named Liu Jingyuan as an assistant cook. This young man had studied cooking for a while and could handle tasks like ingredient prep and making broth, though he wasn’t a professional chef—you could find dozens like him in any culinary school.

Xu Meng taught him how to make beef fat, which wasn’t much different from rendering lard. After cleaning it thoroughly, add a bit of water and simmer it continuously until the cracklings form—that’s the beef fat.

Compared to lard, beef fat is less commonly used and is also cheaper.

"You can handle this step. From now on, making beef fat and making broth will be your responsibility."

Liu Jingyuan listened attentively, occasionally asking a question or two.

Once the beef fat was ready, Liu Jingyuan was no longer allowed to stay in the kitchen, and Xu Meng officially began stir-frying the hotpot base.

Xu Meng was already skilled at this, but it was her first time working with such well-prepared ingredients and such a high-powered stove. At first, she struggled a bit with the heat control, but after rendering a batch of beef fat, she gradually mastered the heat control and started stir-frying the spices.

This time, the ingredients were plentiful and had all been prepped beforehand. As the spices hit the wok, they released a mouthwatering smell. Outside the kitchen, people were straining to see inside, drawn by the intense aroma that made them hungry.

Even Xu Meng herself thought the smell was incredibly strong.

She wasn’t sure if it was because the ingredients from this era were of better quality or if the beef fat Zhang Mingqing had bought was particularly flavorful, but this was a level of aroma she had never achieved before—one that could truly make you hungry.

The waitstaff, who had been working, all paused and gathered together, whispering excitedly.

At first, when Zhang Mingqing brought back this young girl, they thought she was taking a desperate chance. But this girl clearly had skills—just the aroma alone was enough to make people stop in their tracks.

Song Xia had just returned from outside and was hit with the smell as soon as she entered the shop. She sniffed carefully. "Boss, what’s cooking?"

Zhang Mingqing’s face was already brightened with excitement. "The chef I hired is stir-frying the base."

Song Xia had been out running errands all morning and hadn’t even had a sip of water yet. The smell alone made her mouth water, and for a moment, she forgot why she had rushed back, standing there dumbstruck and staring toward the kitchen.

Zhang Mingqing chuckled. "Did you finish what I asked you to do?"

Song Xia snapped out of it and nodded. "The flyers are all printed."

She poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down.

Zhang Mingqing nodded in satisfaction. "In a few days, you won’t have to do your usual work—just hand out flyers at the schools. During the opening week, customers who bring the flyers can get free broth. Oh, and did you get the camera?"

Song Xia quickly snapped out of her daze, opened the backpack she was carrying, and took out a Seagull camera along with a roll of film.

Back then, everyone used film cameras.

Zhang Mingqing took the camera from her.

Before long, the kitchen door swung open, and the smell got even stronger. One of the waitresses couldn’t resist and called out, "Boss, since it’s ready, can we taste it?"

A few others chimed in, egging her on.

Zhang Mingqing smiled. "Is it done already?"

It was Xu Meng’s first day, and aside from getting familiar with the kitchen, she had also spent extra time making beef fat. Fortunately, Liu Jingyuan had handled the prep work, so she only had to oversee the simmering. Still, even though the temperature in the capital wasn’t high at this time of year, a light sweat had formed on her forehead. She hadn’t dared to make too much this time, but she had still produced enough to fill a tray—enough for about twenty medium-sized pots. Once she got used to the heat, she could make twice as much and easily make enough for fifty medium pots in one go.

"Yeah, it’s done. Cover it with a cloth and let it cool outside. Once it solidifies, we can cut it into blocks."

"Wow, that’s amazing."

"Mhm." Xu Meng wiped her sweat. Freshly stir-fried spices always tasted better, but she couldn’t spend all day in the kitchen, nor did she intend to train apprentices. "It’s cooler outside. The stainless steel tray will take a while to cool, but it’ll solidify soon. There’s a little extra here—I’d like to taste it."

And she did just that!

Zhang Mingqing waved a hand. "Go ahead."

After all, everyone was meant to try and evaluate the flavor together.